The Amazing Race - October 24th Episode Recap

Tastes Like a Million Dollars

The episode opened with the teams striking out from the Swedish Lapland - Nat & Kat are the first out at 6:00am - they get the clue to drive over the border to Narvik, Norway - the land of the midnight sun - in the summer the sun never sets - once there they must search for the gondola station, at the top of the gondola they will find their next clue.  Nat & Kat say they are more like sisters than friends and doing the race together has only strengthened that.
-Gary & Mallory are the next out at 6:04am - doing the race was Dad's dream from his couch every Sunday night - Mallory is so glad to help make it happen for him.
-Brook & Claire are right behind them at 6:05am - Brook knows she's the most hyper, energetic, passionate person and Claire is a calm storm - put them together and they'd be the perfect creature. (Brook would drive me Nuts!)
-Kevin & Michael head out at 6:30am - Kevin is in college right now, thinks this will be the last chance he and his Dad will have to spend so much time together... Eat, sleep, race... and Michael throws in, pee together - with his huge grin... still TMI (too much information.)
-Thomas & Jill - out at 6:48am - He's going on again about how he went to Notre Dame and how he always thought he'd be with someone with an education... she's always trying to prove herself to him (I don't know how she puts up with 'The Great Thomas', his superiority complex is sickening.)

-Brook & Claire and Gary & Mallory are conferring on which way to go while driving in circles in a round-about (this conversation is making me dizzy) they decide to head for the tower on the mountain they can see.

-Nick & Vicki are the next heading out at 7:11am. (I know I'm getting old because I think they just look ridiculous with the tats and face piercings and Brett Michaels bandanas.ugh.)

-Nat & Kat make it to the gondola and are terrified about what may await them at the top.

-Chad & Stephanie head out at 8:12am - they need to focus so they can jump up some spots today.
-Katie & Rachel are the last out at 8:34am - they're here to win, it's not Amazing Friend (Oh, they pulled the "I'm not here to make friends card" famous among reality show contestants[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w536Alnon24 ], usually means you're going to lose too.) it's the Amazing Race.  In the car, Katie says the blond one from Nat & Kat (ha, that's funny coming from the team I can never tell apart) Nat is afraid of heights so Katie & Rachel hope she's having a panic attack (Nice girls - this race has a lot of instant Karma, I'd be careful wishing ill on others)...

...And they show Nat crying in the gondola (okay, they called it, but she's doing not too bad) - she's given Kat permission to push her off if necessary.  They get to the top and get a clue to a Fast Forward - says they'll have to go to a restaurant and participate in a Christmas tradition - what it doesn't say is the tradition is to eat a sheep's head (oh, gross... but, at a restaurant, you gotta know it's some kind of eating challenge...)  Nat & Kat decide to go for the FF.
-Nat was so relieved it was only the clue box at the top of the mountain and they could head right back down.
-Brook & Claire are at the bottom as the doctors come down and Brook is being annoying (surprise).  Gary & Mallory get the next gondola and Micheal & Kevin are right behind them.
-The clue is telling them to make their way to a particular bridge - they all head back down assuming the doctors are doing the FF - Mallory finally reads the FF clue and whines that she loves Christmas...

-Nat & Kat, in the car, speculate that it may be a food challenge - Kat is a vegetarian and hasn't eaten meat in 22 years - they don't think she'd make it through a meat eating challenge (seriously? why would you take the chance then - restaurant = food = eating something gross - it's not the Amazing Yummy Food.)

-Thomas & Jill are heading up the gondola as the other 3 teams are heading down.  They're all surprised they've caught up so much already. (Oh god, don't tell 'The Great Thomas' that.)

-Nat & Kat get to the restaurant (it just looks like a cabin... it could be the Amazing Restaurant) they're trying to be upbeat but they see a table set with glasses of water and they know... the head comes out and they strip the meat off the bones (tell me they don't have to eat the eyeballs...) and Kat is trying to wash down small pieces without chewing - Nat is telling her it tastes like a million dollars but I'm pretty sure we're going to see her puke at some point.

-Meanwhile - Gary & Mallory and Kevin & Michael get tot he bridge and get the clue to the ROADBLOCK - one team member has to step off the deck of the bridge and rappel down to the water below - once they get to the end of the rope they must signal to a boat to bring them the clue then use a vertical ascender to pull themselves back up to the bridge deck (I'd be dead right there - those ascender things take a lot of upper body strength.)
-Kevin & Gary get suited up in their safety harnesses for the rappel.
-Brook & Claire arrive and as soon as Brook reads the clue tells Claire she's got this - Claire is like, I do?  Then Brook starts jumping around like and idiot (again, I'd want to punch her.)  Claire suits up and teaches the Norwegian helping her what a wedgie means :)

-Nat & Kat are getting through the sheep head... Oh, they do have to eat the eyes (I gagged a little there too) "Tastes like a million dollars."  And they make it through the whole thing - good for them!  They get to skip all the tasks and get the clue for the Pit Stop - a marina.  Kat's going to wait and puke after they check in.

-Kevin & Gary start their descent and make it down quickly - Gary knows it's the way back up that's going to be a problem - that and the harness making him into a soprano.

-Vicki & Nick get the clue at the gondola and decide to go for the FF - they think everyone will be doing it - (because they are SMRT.)
-Chad & Stephanie and the Volleyball girls still on their way to the gondola.
-Claire starts her descent off the bridge and Thomas & Jill have arrived - Thomas also starts off the bridge.
-Kevin & Gary are inching their way back up after getting their clues -Kevin is finally realizing this is hard. 
-Claire is struggling to start her ascent and Thomas is just flying - Jill tells us that Thomas apparently grew up in the mountains rappelling & stuff (she talks about him like he's 'The Great Thomas' as well.)

-Nick & Vicki get to the FF restaurant and there's a sign on the door "Fast Forward has been taken." Vicki, "What does that mean?" They don't understand the sign, what does FF taken mean?  (Are you serious?  How do these two function is everyday life?)  Even later when they're doing the interview footage after the leg she still didn't understand... (I have nothing nice to say so I'll just shake my head.)  She wondered if they should wait (for what?) and he says he's not waiting around -they head out for the bridge.

-Chad & Stephanie get the clue at the top of the gondola and know not to bother with the Fast Forward.
-Volleyball girls just arrive at the gondola as Chad & Stephanie are heading out.

-Back at the bridge - Kevin makes it back up but it was tough.  Claire is exhausted 1/4 way back up, Brook is yelling down at her not to give up - Claire tells her to shut up (I felt like applauding.)

-Kevin gets the next clue - they have to make their way to Harvika to a remote field where they'll find the next clue box.  They head out.
- Gary makes it back up on the bridge - Thomas makes it back up and Claire is crying, still about 1/2 way down... Brook tells her to call on her grandma (who died 4 days before the race started) to help her - Claire was already praying... but she also doesn't give up... and she finally makes it back up on the bridge (way to go, girl!) Says she can check 'rappel off bridge' off her life's to do list.

-Nick & Vicki get to the bridge - Read the clue about strength, stamina and guts and say it's her doing the task... really?  She says she's the guts in the relationship (hmm, they may regret that, she's pretty chesty, but that doesn't mean she has upper body strength.)
-Chad already saying he's going to do the task as they drive up to the bridge, he's psyched!
-Vicki is killing it!  She wasn't kidding when she said they were a physical rather than a mental team.  She gets the clue and is tearing it up back up to the bridge - I was very wrong, I don't mind admitting it.

-Michael & Kevin get to the DETOUR - Bike or Boat.
-In Bike they choose a pair of mountain bikes, taking note of the colour of the bike lock, then they must ride a gruelling course to a sign where they have to memorize the colour coded combination to the bike lock (only 4 digits) ride back to the start and open the lock to get the next clue.
-In Boat they make their way out to one of the fishing trawlers, using a map they must direct the captain to a designated spot where they'll disembark then continue on foot to deliver 2 large cod and a chainsaw to a cabin in the woods - there they'll get the next clue.
-Kevin & Michael decide to do the Boat - Kevin thinks it will be safer for Dad (and rightly so.)
-Gary & Mallory and Thomas & Jill get to the Detour and decide to bike - 'The Great Thomas' tells Jill to try and keep up - Mallory is whining the seat's too high (which it probably is, she's tiny.)
-Brook & Claire get there and decide to do the Boat - they are not outdoorsy girls so this Race is really challenging them - Claire asks if they can get a manicure while they're there. (Ah...No.)

-Vicki finishes the bridge rappel easily and Chad is impressed and probably a bit embarrassed that she did it faster than him... Volleyball girls just get to the bridge and Katie is heading down off the bridge for them. (I can finally tell these two apart... and I just gotta say, they wear a LOT of makeup for athletic girls.)

-Kevin & Michael make shore and have to schlep the fish and chainsaw up a pretty steep hill.  Kevin's got the fish and apparently they were fragrant - eww.
-Thomas & Jill are biking like champs - Gary & Mallory both fall down on a slippery section of rock (ouch) she says she was ready to chuck that bike off the mountain.  Both teams memorize their codes and head back down.

-Thomas is the first to open his lock and get the clue for the Pit Stop - Inkinus Marina - they take off just ahead of Gary & Mallory who also open their clue and head off.
-Kevin & Michael make their delivery to the old Norwegian man in the woods and get the clue to the Pit Stop - Kevin is happy with how well they're doing today (me too.)
-Brook & Claire's boat passes Kevin & Dad's on their way to the shore - Brook has the fish, apparently she's still smelly too - poor Claire is spent from pulling herself up that rope and is schlumping along with the chainsaw.

-Thomas & Jill are arguing in the car - haven't found the Marina and worried they passed it - she thinks they're going in circles - he thinks she's stupid - so pretty much normal there...
-Kevin & Michael also nervous that they missed the turn to the marina end up behind Jill & Thomas and decide to follow them (the lost leading the lost, great.)

-Nick & Vicki get to the Detour clue box and decide to do the Bike - Nick says he's been riding dirt bikes competitively since he was 12 (and likely fell on his head a lot, could explain some things) he takes off like a shot and she has to remind him to wait for her.
-Chad & Stephanie get to the clue box and decide to do Boat... well, he'd rather bike but they both have to do it - so Boat it is.

-Brook & Claire deliver the goods, ask the old guy why he lives all the way up there - then they both kiss him (made the old guy's day if that huge smile was any indication) and Brook skips down the mountain - "Kiss count is up to 7!"

-Jill & Thomas HAVE gone in a circle - they go over the rappel bridge and the Volleyball girls see them - Rachel thinks Jill & Thomas are just getting there and there's a team behind them (nope they're just lost.)
Thomas is freaking out - we just ruined ourselves! (The Great Thomas can't stand being wrong.)  They pull over and ask for directions.

-Nick & Vicki - she's now ahead of him on the bikes as he's struggling to pedal up the hill - she's finding it easy (wow, this girl is in phenomenal shape - if she was as smart as she's is fit they would be first every time.)
-Chad & Stephanie get to shore and start schlepping the fish & chainsaw up the hill - he's yelling at her to hurry up - "we're too far behind to be walking."
-Volleyball girls get to the Detour and decide to do the Boat as well - hope they can pass another team (you haven't passed any yet - did they not notice there were no more clues in the box?)
-Chad & Stephanie get the clue from the old guy... no more kissing though.
-Nick & Vicki coming back and he's in the lead on the downhill (ha! of course, much easier going downhill) they unlock the clue to the Pit Stop.
-Volleyball girls see Chad & Stephanie heading back as they are boating to the shore - they complete the task and head back with the clue - praying they're not last..

Here's How They Finished:
1) Nat & Kat - They win a trip for 2 to Costa Rica.  Nice! And I just have to say, they both have the whitest, most perfect teeth, doctoring pays for some good dental work.
2) Gary & Mallory - Phil just raises his eyebrow twice to let them know they are team #2 - he has fun with this team I can tell.  Gary says it's very different being there than watching it from the couch at home.
3) Jill & Thomas - 'The Great Thomas' thought so.
4) Kevin & Michael - That's good - they're happy with that.
5) Brook & Claire - Brook cut her eyelid on the door of the car - ooh, that's ugly... Phil impressed, says she's a tough nut.  I think he's just surprised she's not freaking out, but maybe she realized Claire had it worse (watermelon in the face...hello.)
6) Nick & Vicki - He thinks they're second... Huh? Did I miss him fall on his head?
7) Chad & Stephanie -  He thinks they're one of the strongest teams and they know it can turn around quickly on the race, you can go from last to first in one leg. (I hope so, they're my team.)
8) Katie & Rachel ***ELIMINATED*** They wanted to race forever... some tears but they were, meh. (It just figures, I could finally tell who was who and they got eliminated - oh well.)

So, with the Volleyball girls leaving this week, that means Cheryl B, Alexis G, Virginia D, Ian G and Lindsay J are OUT of the pool.

Next week they sample Russian culture in music, cinema and... babushkas.

Have a great week everyone.

Coleen