Six teams remain on The Amazing Race this season, comprised of three dating couples and three blind date couples, and on the last leg they got a taste of the glamorous life in Monaco. The ladies donned fashionable gowns while the men were dressed James Bond chic. Teams even picked a Blind Detour via a spin of the roulette wheel.
Blind date couple Jackie Ibarra and Jeffrey Wheldon were the final team to reach Phil, and were eliminated. They were the one blind date couple that seemed to have some chemistry, and I am sorry to see them go. So who will take the lead on these two legs of The Amazing Race? Let’s find out!
Welcome to Namibia
“Back in Business (Namibia)” kicks off with blind daters Tyler and Laura enjoying a lovely Date Night dinner overlooking the sea in Monaco. Hayley and Blair, who won the previous leg of the race, open the first clue.(I am still personally amazed that they won a leg, but that may just be me. At least they didn’t argue the entire time.) Teams are now off to Windhoek, Namibia. Upon their arrival, they will sign up for another flight on a bush plane.
All the couples spent a comfy night sleeping at the airport, so once again, everyone is on the same flight. Once they touch down, they grab a pilot with a numbered sign indicating the order of flights. Blair and Hayley, who were feeling pretty confident after their good performance on the last leg, again begin to bicker when they get the sixth, and last, flight out. (I, for one, am shocked that the bickering has commenced! Sigh.) Hayley has taken a shine to their handsome bush pilot, so she calms down a bit and forgets about her team mate for the moment.
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Meeting the Bushmen
Aly and Steve are on the first flight. Most of the competitors are nervous about being in such a small plane and landing on a dirt landing strip. The Olympians arrive at the Erindi Game Preserve and select a Ford vehicle and get the next clue. Racers must now drive to the Bushman Village, follow the signs for San Village, and pick up a salt lick along the way. Laura and Tyler once again score a Date Night when they open their clue, and this is their third win.
The salt licks are pretty easy to find. Tyler and Laura drive by them as they wonder what a salt lick looks like. Aly and Steve arrive at the village first, and it is incredible. Villagers are playing music, dancing, and working. The clue is actually an egg, painted with the Roadblock question: “Who’s feeling grassy?” Aly cracks open the egg and finds a message saying to help the Bushmen build a traditional San grass hut using dried grass and sticks. When it is properly completed, competitors will receive their clue. Aly and Steve have been alternating Road Blocks, but Aly isn’t too thrilled with all the hard physical labor and wishes this was wasn’t her task. Jelani and Jenny arrive next, and Jelani takes up the challenge, as does Matt. Jenny harps on Jelani to hurry, and he isn’t a happy camper.
Please Pass the Salt
Rochelle and Mike aren’t able to start their car, and Blair and Hayley drive off in their car leaving the couple literally behind in the dust. Rochelle discovers that Mike was using the wrong key. When Hayley and Blair arrive at the site, they don’t have their salt lick. As Tyler is digging holes with his stick, he asks Laura to see if they were supposed to get a salt lick before arriving at the San village. They discover their mistake and head out to find the salt.
Back at the village, Hayley is moved seeing small children playing and holds a baby. Tyler finishes first, even after the salt lick setback, and gets the next clue. I am extremely impressed with Tyler’s building skills. Teams are off to find the head ranger at ranger headquarters. Matt and Jelani are the next to finish their huts. Rochelle and Mike are the final couple to complete the task, and the Bushmen sing and dance as she finishes up her hut. What an incredible moment to experience.
Pick an Animal
Once the teams present the salt lick to the ranger they get the next clue which is a Detour: Track or Pack. In Track, teams will use a radio tracking device to locate an elephant wearing a tracking collar. Once they find it, they will receive the next clue from a field guide. (That challenge looks so cool!) In Pack, teams must cut up and prepare wildebeest meat and drive it out to feed wild dogs. Teams have to be careful to make sure there are no bone fragments in the meat. Once the dogs have finished their tasty meal, teams will snag the next clue.
Laura and Tyler and Matt and Ashley pick the Pack challenge because they like dogs. Jelani and Jenny consider using the Express Pass, but decide to tackle the wild dog task instead. The men tackle cutting up the meat while the ladies cut the slabs into smaller chunks. Ashley starts gagging half-way through the task, which is ironic because she has butchers in her family. It is a bit worrisome when Matt asks if they can get out of the jeep to feed the dogs and he is told that the dogs will use him as a meal. Jenny is so pumped that she wants to smear blood from the meat on her face. Yikes! The next clue is the location of the Pit Stop: Spitzkoppe, which are granite peaks that rise out of the desert.
Elephant Issues
When Aly and Steve reach the ranger, the Pack challenge is full, so they get to tackle the Track Detour. The teams see giraffes, zebras, and other wildlife while searching for the elephants. Aly keeps getting distracted by the amazing animals, and Steve asks the driver to stop so that they can both focus. When Hayley and Blair arrive, Hayley is quick to point out several times how far behind they are. Blair is probably crossing his fingers that the hot bush pilot comes back! Blair tries to hold both the antennae and signal box, which annoys Hayley because she doesn’t know what is going on.
Aly and Steve find their elephant, and they are elated to see an elephant in the wild. Their celebration is short-lived though as Aly hands the map and clue packet back to Steve, and it blows out of his hands, launching one more search in the desert for the couple.
Matt and Ashley, who are the lead car in the line on the way to the Pit Stop are panicked when they see Tyler and Laura stop behind them to look at a map. Jenny and Jelani, who are stuck behind Tyler, are even less happy. Matt gets out to find out what is going on, but he quickly realizes that they are headed in the right direction. Later, Matt does stop to ask directions, and Tyler passes them.
Tire Troubles
Aly and Steve continue to squabble as Aly tells Steve that he is driving too far over to the edge of the road. He hits something, and they end up with a flat tire. As they get out to work on the tire, Blair and Hayley breeze by them. Mike and Rochelle are facing driving dilemmas of their own as they get lost on the way to Spitzkoppe, and Jenny and Jelani fear that they are lost, as well.
The First to Arrive
After running and climbing up some cliffs, Matt and Ashley are the first to reach Phil on the mat. They also each win $5,000 dollars. Nicely done, guys! Laura and Tyler are hot on their heels to nab second place, with Hayley and Blair taking third place.
The Last to Arrive
Aly and Steve are the final team to arrive, but they heard Phil utter the sweet, sweet words that it is a non-elimination leg. They will face the challenge of completing an extra Speed Bump during the next leg.
The Race is on, Baby!
“Moment of Truth (Namibia)” starts with the couples sleeping in tents in the desert. The teams stand together and take in a beautiful sunset. The race begins anew in the morning, as teams are headed to Swakopmund, where they will look for their next clue in a German newspaper. There is a U-Turn ahead on this leg, so the couples plan their strategies. Ashley and Matt want to work with Tyler and Laura to U-Turn Jenny and Jelani. They still seem to harbor a grudge against Jenny and Jelani dating back to when they asked them for directions and Jenny urged their driver to speed off without answering.
The foursome finds a flag picture and bring it to a travel agency to get it translated. They are heading to a skydiving place. They discover a Roadblock which asks the question, “Who has Always Wanted a Sky Box?” Teams must find a box dropped from a plane by the Travelocity gnome. While teams hunt for the cases in a one mile area, the gnome tandem sky-dives back down and waist for the racers on a hilltop. Who knew the gnome had so many hidden talents?
Needle in the Sand
Laura, Ashley, and Hayley step up to find the boxes in the hot desert. It looks very difficult. Meanwhile, Jenny and Jelani get a flat tire and go to a service station for help. Ashley and Laura grab their gnomes and get the next clue. So where are teams headed next? They are driving to Snake Bed Pan to find the next clue box.
Jelani and Mike tackle finding their boxes next. Jenny and Jelani plan to use the Express Pass later on if needed.
Aly and Steve encounter their Speed Bump, and they must make four airplane toys out of repurposed cans. The Olympians enjoy working with the kids. Steve decides to search for the sky box, and Aly watches in frustration as Steve is unable to find the case. He finally fetches the gnome, and they are in last place.
Whether to Work or Play?
The next clue is a Detour: Work or Play. In Work, teams will help take the bumps out of local sand roads by dragging five huge tires behind their vehicles, under the supervision of the gnome. (Yes, I am serious.) When they have satisfactorily smoothed five miles of roadway, they will be awarded a clue. In Play, teams will get a lesson in sand-skiing and will follow a marked course to get their next set of instructions. Ashley and Matt decide to sand ski, but climbing up the sand hill on skis is extremely difficult. This engaged couple thought that they were skiing back down, but instead they laid down on their stomachs and each rode a board down. They receive the next clue to walk down the road on foot to reach the Double U-Turn, where two teams have the option of slowing down two other teams by forcing them to complete both of the Detour challenges.
Laura and Tyler choose Work, as do Blair and Hayley. The tires are huge and take two people to move. I am exhausted just from watching.
U-Turn Blues
Jenny and Jelani present their Express Pass at the Play Detour, and get the clue about the Double U-Turn. Ashley and Matt reach the U-Turn first, and U-Turn Jelani and Jenny. They also get the clue for the Pit Stop: Goanikates Oasis. As a fun twist, teams can select an animal to bring with them, such as a zebra, donkey, or camel. I love that!
Tyler and Laura decide to U-Turn Steve and Aly. Jenny and Jelani realize that they have to perform the Work Detour. (What’s that they say about karma?) Rochelle and Mike also choose the Work Detour, and they feel like it is in their wheel house. Mike feels badly for Jelani because of Jenny’s intensity and how she pushes Jelani around.
Aly and Steve select the Play Detour, still unaware of being U-Turned.
The First to Arrive
Tyler and Laura choose a zebra, and Tyler is having a grand time walking his zebra until it gets rebellious and kicks him in the shoulder. Ashley is walking some type of antelope-type animal with long horns. Tyler and Laura are in first place, and win a trip to Queenstown, New Zealand. Tyler and Ashley are in second place, and Blair and Hayley snag third.
Mike and Rochelle’s zebra is extra feisty and kicks Mike repeatedly and knocks him down. They trade him in for a donkey. Jenny and Jelani choose a camel to bring to the mat.
The Last to Arrive
Aly and Steve, unable to make up the time from the Speed Bump and the U-Turn, are eliminated from The Amazing Race.
The Amazing Race airs Friday at 8 pm on CBS
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Kim has been covering television entertainment since 2013. She is addicted to Real Housewives, Pump Rules, Dancing with the Stars, and many more shows.
