We’ve reached the point of the race where any mistake can cost a team $1 million. As the number of racers decreases, so does the margin for error. At the end of the last leg, the Female Feds knew they were in last and decided to enjoy the scenery as they made their way to the finish. While it seemed like a good idea at the time, it may have been key to their downfall.
Double Trouble
As the teams start to head off one by one, they are told that this leg of the race will include the possibility of the dreaded Double U-Turn, which means that teams can pick other teams to do double the work. The Army Couple leave first, with Kentucky only two minutes behind them. The first thing the teams will do is take a safari through the plains and get a chance to see all the wild life. As the teams drive along, you can see every character from The Lion King in real life form, and it gives everyone a chance to grab a breather and forget about the race around them.
After the safari, the teams must find the Hillary Clington stand for their next clue. Where is the stand, you may ask? Right next to the Barack Obama stand, of course! Both Kentucky and Army get there at the same time and have to choose between waiting in line to fill up water jugs for a family or repair bike tires. They both decide to fix the bikes and head on their way.
Behind them, Border Patrol decides to fill up the water, but when they see the line they soon realize that it will take them at least 40 minutes to complete. Big Brother choose to do the bikes and arrive at the shop as Kentucky and Army are leaving. The divorcees are struggling to find the Clington stand and lose valuable time. And where are the Female Feds? They FINALLY leave the starting point of the race.
Big Decision
Both Kentucky and Army arrive at a pub where they get their next clue. Both teams choose not to U-Turn anybody. That may sound like a nice thing, which would be commended, but Army and Border Patrol apparently made an agreement that the first team there would force Big Brother to do the other task. The next clue tells them to go to an art gallery and both teams head out, right on top of each other.
The Divorcees still can’t find the clue and, after stumbling into the bike shop, turn around and find the Clington stand. They choose to fix the bikes and turn back around. Border Patrol finally finishes filling the water buckets and get to the U-Turn. Since Army didn’t turn Big Brother, they do so and think that they are in first place. Big Brother finishes with the tire, and after learning that they were U-Turned, use the final U-Turn on their nemesi, the Divorcees. Way up ahead, Army and Kentucky reach the art gallery and are told to go to a farm for their next task.
Making Up Ground
The Female Feds get to the bike shop just as the Divorcees are finishing their repairs. The Divorcees go for their next clue and find out that they were U-Turned. While this is going on, Big Brother is already waiting in line for their water. Border Patrol reaches the art gallery and learn that they are in third place, and become very bitter about the Army couple not following their agreement. It seems like something small to not get tied up about, but it looks like the grunting cavemen of the Border Patrol really know how to hold a grudge.
At the farm, teams must don bee suits and collect chunks of honeycomb from bees nests. I bet the producers were hoping for someone to freak out about the bees, but everyone takes it surprisingly well. Kentucky finished just ahead of Army, but are told that they have to go to the pit stop by foot. This is a problem because Bopper has injured his knee somewhere along the race. Despite his pain, he hobbles to the pit stop for Kentucky’s first first place finish, with Army finishing right on their heels.
Sour Grapes
As Army is leaving the farm for the pit stop, they run into the guys from Border Patrol. They are still extremely bitter about what happened at the U-Turn, even though it has no effect on the course of this leg of the race. When Border Patrol finally finishes in third, they tell Phil that they are disgusted and aren’t going to help them anymore. Real mature, guys…
In the back of the pack, Big Brother finishes with their water well ahead of the other teams and breeze through the bee challenge to finish in fourth. The Female Feds and Divorcees head towards the art gallery at nearly the same time, with the Divorcees with a slight lead. They have a tire blowout in their cab, but seem to have a NASCAR pit crew member as a driver who fixes the problem easily. The Feds also have a speed bump to complete at the art gallery, which seals their fates as the final team to finish, with this round being an elimination round.
After eight episodes, I have finally found a team to root for, and that is the Kentucky team. Yeah, they are a tad annoying, but they are the only genuinely good team left on the field. After them, you have whiners in Big Brother, the Divorcees and Border Patrol, and an unlikeable guy from Army. Can this season just end already?
Chase Gamradt
Contributing Writer
(Image courtesy of CBS)
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Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
