The Amazing Race - Dec 5th Episode Recap

I'm Surrounded by Ninjas

There are 4 teams remaining because of last leg being a non-elimination round and they remind us that Nick was horrible last leg and that he & Vicki are facing a six hour penalty and Speed Bump this leg because he gave up.
-The teams are starting out from Hong Kong - Kat & Nat are the first team to get the clue at 4:37pm - find out they have to fly to Seoul, South Korea and then drive themselves toward the North Korean border - Kat, "Really?" (Yeah, really?) They have to find the Seunguil (?)  bridge in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and there they will find the next clue.  Reading further in the cab, Kat reads, "Do Not Cross the Border." (I should hope not.)  They are a little nervous about driving to the border.
-Thomas & Jill are the next out at 4:47pm - he thinks they're the top contenders but there are still some smart women in the race who have proven they are teams to be reckoned with.
-Brook & Claire head out at 5:26pm - they head into a hotel to try and arrange tickets with an agent since the issue they faced in Oman at the airport and not getting the better flights they hope this will give them an edge. Turns out the first flight heading out for Seoul isn't until 12:25am.  They should all be able to make that flight.
-In the airport, we see the doctors use their feminine wiles and get a strange man to buy them a travel book on Korea... Living by the "Catch more flies with honey than vinegar" motto... I'm thinking it's more like some men will do anything for a pretty face, but then I'm just jaded.
-Nick & Vicki are the last team heading out and they don't show what time it is - huh - Nick says the race has pointed out problems they have in their relationship (they, sheesh).  He says he realizes he treated her like scum and he promised himself and Vicki that he'd never blow up like that again... (Hmm, didn't he say the same thing after the Ghana leg? I'm not holding my breath.)
-The other teams are checking in as Nick & Vicki get to the airport (or they made it look that way.)  Nick & Vicki miss the 12:25am flight and the next one out doesn't leave until 9:30am - (Oh, and look, Nick's pissed off.)

-The first teams arrive in Seoul and find their cars - Thomas & Jill are bickering in the car - Brook & Claire wonder if they can broker a deal to have North Korea put the other teams in time out (Uh, yeah) and the Doctors are feeling the extra excitement of the politically charged area.
-They are all driving through the rain in a country where there is no English on the signs at all - they are all relying on maps to get them there.

-Nick & Vicki are boarding their flight in Hong Kong - say they're hoping for the best - Nick says they're going to try and have as much fun as possible...(Yeah, they pretty much have no chance of catching up - and, honestly, I'm still a little bitter they're still there.)

-Jill & Thomas are the first to make it to the bridge and get the clue to choose a guide and raft down the river, then take a Humvee to the US Military base to get the next clue.
-Brook & Claire are next to the clue box and try to hurry to catch up with Jill & Thomas - Nat & Kat arrive and Jill starts screeching at Thomas to hurry up, that he took longer than her to put on the wetsuit.  They head out on the river and the white water rafting does look like fun.
-Brook & Claire get out on the river, at one point Claire says, "Oh, Kelly Clarkson" (40-Year Old Virgin reference, nice) and Nat & Kat are bringing up the rear - all of them having a blast riding the rapids.

-Once they get to the army trucks they have to put on helmets - Jill & Thomas are the first off the water and a little worried about what they'll have to do in the DMZ.
-At the army base - Jill & Thomas get the clue for the ROADBLOCK- Who's ready to be all you can be?  At the army base the soldiers are all trained in Tae Kwon Do - two hundred or so are out on the field performing the martial art - the teams have to choose a headband and walk among the 200+ soldiers and find the one soldier wearing the matching headband - once they get it correct - a soldier will kick a board in half to release their next clue.
-Thomas is going to do the task for them - they run out into the training field and he has to go up the bleachers to get the head band from the top.
-Brook & Claire arrive and squeal like irritating, little girls - Brook is doing the task for them (of course, she has an audience) She is shouting that they all look the same - she takes a chance and hands her head band to one of the soldiers and he just takes it from her and puts it in his pocket - huh, must be wrong.  Now she has to run off the field and back up the bleachers to get another head band - (Ouch.  Better be more careful next time.)
-Thomas finds his matching head band and the guy takes off to kick the wood - Flying Side Kick - and they get the clue to head out on foot or on the subway to Seoul's World Cup Stadium.  They are heading out just as Nat & Kat get there.
-Kat is going to be all she can be.

-Claire is telling Brook to focus, but she's being cute - "I'm surrounded by ninjas."  She finds her matching soldier/head band and the soldier does a Spinning Side Kick to release their clue.  She's so excited and jacked up she tries to kick the board too (Stop it, lady, I'm embarrassed for you.)  She yells, "I think I can read Korean now." (Um, yeah, cause watching Tae Kwon Do does that for you.)  They head out for the subway.
-Kat finds her matching soldier and their guy does a Standing Back Flip to break the board (Okay, that one was impressive.)  They also head out for the subway.

-Jill & Thomas get the first train out - Brook & Claire and Nat & Kat get the second train.
-Nick and Vicki are sleeping on an airplane somewhere.

-Jill & Thomas get to the World Cup Stadium and the clue box is in the middle of the field - it's the DETOUR: Full Throttle or Full Bottle.  Phil tells us Korea has been a major player in the international sporting scene and the teams will attempt to determine if it's because of their modern training methods or holistic take on health and nutrition.
-In Full Throttle - they'll have to walk or take the subway to a skating rink, change into high tech speed skating suits and skate a two-man relay for a total of 24 laps (What?!)  When they finish they'll get their next clue (I see lots of slips and falls in their futures.)
-In Full Bottle - teams must make their way by foot or subway to the market, put on deliverymen suits and carry six large bottles containing ginseng roots to a holistic shop - if they can deliver all the jars without breaking any and drink a bottle of ginseng tonic - the pharmacist will give them their next clue.
-Thomas wants to skate - he says they suck at delivering things - She says, "We do?"  But, of course, Jill caves and they are speed skating.

-The other two teams get to the stadium and Nat & Kat decide to skate - Brook wants to skate but Claire doesn't, she hasn't skated since she was a kid... Brook, in the most passive aggressive tone, "Fine, we'll do the ginseng then..." Claire, "No, we'll skate, just don't yell at me when I fall down." (Oh, this doesn't bode well for the pink ladies.)  They are still bickering as they exit the stadium and miss the fact that they have to go on foot or subway... and they hail a cab.

-Jill & Thomas think they're sitting pretty - haven't seen any other teams since the DMZ - he leads an "Alright, Thomas!" cheer (seriously?)

-Nick & Vicki finally arrive in Seoul and ask a guy in the airport to help them find the bridge - he says he'll lead them there - Aw, that's nice...

- In the cab, Brook & Claire aren't speaking on the way to the skating rink (I was chanting, Read the Clue - Read the Clue - Read the Clue!) Nope.  Claire is being a poopy-pants, "She chose this so, if I suck at it, there's nothing I can do." (Argh! Stop fighting and read the clue!)

-Jill & Thomas are on the subway - Nat & Kat just miss a train - and Brook & Claire are the first to the skating rink (uh, oh.)  They put on the speed skating suits and Brook is not happy with the attire - Not what we would have chosen to wear (is that really relevant right now?)
-Jill & Thomas get to the rink and are shocked that Brook & Claire beat them there - these two do not function well if they are not in the lead - She's yelling at him to hurry up and change - he tells her to shut up and they are still wondering how the other team beat them there.

-Meanwhile, guy that is leading Nick & Vicki to the border stops for a toilet break and buys Vicki a snack - "For the beautiful woman."  Nick says he knew she was good for something (and this is him being nice.)  The Korean guy is so cute - "Bonsai!" - unfortunately he doesn't seem to be helping them that much.

-Back at the rink - none of them can skate - it's ice-walking in the skates.  Jill is doing the most falling but she is also going faster than Claire.  It's a slow skating relay race - and a little painful to watch (especially every time Jill's ass meets the ice - I've been there, and it hurts.)

-Nick & Vicki's "guide" takes them to the border (Do Not Cross the Border) and runs over to get a picture from Vicki - he runs back, "They also don't know."  Nick laughs. (Me thinks they should have just used a map.)

-Jill & Thomas are the first to finish and she sacrificed her body for that - they get the next clue to make their way to Riverside park and search for an airplane statue where they'll get their next clue.  They're satisfied because they're again in the lead.
-Brook & Claire finish and they are all outside trying to find cabs.

-Nat & Kat, meanwhile, get out on the ice - Nat grew up in Arizona so she has LOTS of experience with ice skating.  They are also doing the slow-skate relay.

-In the cab, Jill is obsessing about how Brook & Claire got to the rink so quickly - (Who cares?  If they cheated they'll get a penalty - let it go.)
-At the park - Jill asks an old man if he speaks English and Thomas gives her crap for asking an old man.  "Is this guy in your age range?"  Now, they're doing charades for the guy, trying to ask where the airplane statue is.
-Brook & Claire find the statue no problem and get the clue to the Pit Stop - The Temple of Heaven - it's across town - back to the cabs.

-Nat & Kat finally finish the skating - they know they looked ridiculous and were really slow but they had fun doing it (and they know Nick & Vicki are nowhere near any of them so it takes the pressure off.)  They head for Riverside park.

-Jill & Thomas finally find the statue and he's going on, "How does nobody know what an airplane is?" (These two are getting on my nerves this leg - Who cares?)

-Brook & Claire get to the Temple of Heaven and are the first team to arrive - HOWEVER - "You took a taxi when you should have taken the subway so you have a 30 minute penalty..." They are not happy but there's nothing they can do about it now (I think this is one of the first times Brook has had nothing to say) - they sit on a ledge right in front of Phil to wait out their time.

-Jill & Thomas get in a cab and the driver doesn't speak English - they go full-out ugly American and demand he call someone that speaks English so they can tell him where they need to go - he's on the phone and Jill freaks out - "He's wasting our time - get out of the car." They hail another cab and the driver's younger - good - he knows the Temple of Heaven.

- Nat & Kat get to the clue box in the park and get the clue to the Pit Stop.

-Nick & Vicki get to the bridge and get the clue for their Speed Bump - they have to go to the army base and wash a tank... Are they really going to make them do everything?  They don't show us anymore of them until they checked in...
Here's How They Finished:
1) Thomas & Jill - actually 2nd to arrive but they get First on this leg because Brook & Claire still have 19 minutes in their penalty.  Jill & Thomas win a trip for two to Argentina... And they are officially finalists.
2) Brook & Claire - they are the second official finalist team - they hope they can be the first all-female team to win.
3) Nat & Kat - our third official finalist team - they also want to make history by being the first female team to win the race.
4) Nick & Vicki - Finally  **ELIMINATED** Vicki says this has been the best experience of her life - He learned that getting angry and being rude doesn't get you anywhere. (He says the words, we can only hope he has grown as a person.)
So, with Nick & Vicki finally going home: Esther B, Lee G, Chiquita D, Shelley A and Mike L are now officially out of the pool.  Sorry guys.

And next week is the finale! 
Here's who's still in it:
Brook & Claire: Robert L, Carol-Anne D, Rachel R, Krista H and Kevin C.
Jill & Thomas: Shane B, Tommy D, Susan O, Bryon L and Bernice R.
Nat & Kat: Katie L, Kelvin H, Brittany & Sarah R, Gary M and Drew C.

Have a great week and good luck everyone,

Coleen