The dominance of Justin and Diana has made season 27 of The Amazing Race hard to watch at times. It’s just not too fun to watch a race with such a clear winner. The involvement of a U-Turn in this episode, “It’s Always the Quiet Ones,” changes all that. There’s a real threat that the Green Team, or any strong team, could go home. It makes for the most exciting leg of The Amazing Race season 27 yet. The threat is even realized when the U-Turn is used, but is it used on the “right” team?
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U-Turn Paranoia
The teams head to India. The trip there is rather unremarkable. Justin is a complete ass about how many times he and Diana have won, as well as his (now one-sided) rivalry with Team Texas. At the airport, the other teams try to be friendly with Justin, but he just wants to talk about how much he hates Team Texas. It’s an opinion that, mercifully, no one shares. Justin also keeps doing this really irritating giggle. It’s not special that Justin is annoying, though. That is his constant state of being.
Things get really interesting once the teams get to India. Logan and Chris try to be clever. I think that’s what they are trying to do; who knows with those two? They talk to Team Green about the U-Turn. Logan lets slip that Tiffany and Krista have already used their U-Turn on Justin and Diana. Justin and Diana go to confront Tiffany and Krista about the accusation.
Then Tiffany and Krista go back to Logan and Chris, who implode, as per usual. While all this drama is happening, Justin does his giggle, which is so evil and annoying that it’s probably close to the sound Satan’s flatulence would make.
Washing in the River
From the train station, all the teams head to the Roadblock. One member from each team has to pedal a bike on the beach down to the river. In the river, they must do a large load of laundry. The exception to these rules is Tanner and Josh, who have to both do the Roadblock. This is their Speed Bump penalty for coming in last in the previous leg.
The only thing more difficult than this Roadblock is listening to the team members complain about how hard it is, which nearly all of them do. Laundry is an annoying task at any time; The Amazing Race makes it an art form in irritation.
Kelsey and Joey are the first to finish, followed closely by Logan and Chris, and Justin and Diana. Tanner finishes, which means Josh starts as Tiffany and Krista, and Denise and James Earl, are still trying to complete the Roadblock. So it’s not as bad as it could be for Team Texas, but Joey makes a startling confession to the camera. He admits that he wouldn’t be entirely opposed to using the U-Turn on the guys.
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Canning and Candying to the U-Turn
From here, the teams go to the Detour, which is a choice between “Candy” and “Cans.” The Can teams must transport a large volume of cans through an India street. To anyone who has seen or even been to India, they know this is no easy task. Kelsey and Joey, and Justin and Diana, choose this task.The Candy team must make candy using a sweet fruit. Denise and James Earl, Tiffany and Krista, and Logan and Chris choose Candy. Eventually, Tanner and Josh also choose Candy.
The Candy challenge is deceptively difficult because the teams aren’t sure exactly how much candy they are supposed to make. They know the unit of measurement, but it is local to India. Since Americans stupidly use our own system of measurement, none of the teams have any idea. The most interesting thing about Candy is Logan and Chris constantly arguing with one another. Their arguments are enhanced (in amusement level and intensity) by the fact that they’re often holding sharp objects as they scream. Logan and Chris are in stark contrast to all the other teams, who are working peacefully with their partners.
Oddly, though, this is a winning formula because Logan and Chris are the first team to finish Candy. They are barely behind Justin and Diana, who finish first at Can. Kelsey and Joey finish Can second, right behind Justin and Diana. It’s now a three-way race because, from the Roadblock, the teams will go to the U-Turn. We are now in a position where Logan and Chris could save this season by getting rid of Justin and Diana. But…
The U-Turn Sends One Team Home
They don’t do it. It’s even not close. Justin and Diana arrive first at the U-Turn and are safe. They make their way to the Pit Stop, as do all the other teams, except for one. Again, it’s Tanner and Josh. The U-Turn is used; Kelsey and Joey use it on Team Texas. This one act probably spells the end for Tanner and Josh. It’s also a really needlessly cruel thing for Kelsey and Joey to do because Tanner and Josh are in no way threatening the news anchors in this leg.
The drama and tension of Justin and Diana possibly going home was fun while it lasted, though. Perhaps in a future leg, The Amazing Race will be able to capture it again. Chris swears at the Pit Stop mat that Justin and Diana won’t win the race, but whatever. A threat by Chris is like football statistics to me; it’s meaningless.
The Amazing Race tries their hardest to inject some kind of tension into the end of this leg. Denise and James Earl get lost trying to find the Pit Stop and there is some question over whether Tanner and Josh will beat them. It’s not enough, though, as Tanner and Josh are clearly going home. No amount of fancy editing and dramatic slo-mo can hide it. Tanner and Josh come in last (again) and are eliminated from The Amazing Race.
The Amazing Race season 27 airs Fridays at 8pm on CBS.
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
