Sunday, March 9, 2014

Amazing Race All-Stars - March 9, 2014 Episode Recap

Welcome to the Jungle

Last week the Country Singers wheedled the 2nd Express Pass from the Cowboys and, forgetting Mark's backpack ended up costing the Race for team Kentucky, Mark & Mallory.

This week Brendan & Rachel are the first team to head out at 6:22pm - they read the clue to head to Malaysian Borneo, once there they must make their way to a waterfall... and there are only two flights available with limited seating.  There is only room for six teams on the first flight and there is a three hour difference between the flights.  Rachel knows being 3 hours behind can break a team.

-Margie and Luke are the next team out at 6:23 pm - they realize they have to listen to each other better (Uhh... yes, she actually said that.)
-Country Singers - 6:24pm - they know the Express Pass kept them in the game.
-Dave & Connor - 6:26pm - Dave is just happy to have made it past the second leg... still on two legs.  (Yes! Stay healthy and win mama some moola!)
-Globetrotters - 6:27pm 
-Cowboys - 6:28pm - they are really glad to have the 2nd Express Pass done and gone - they are happy to be the only team still with an Express Pass in play.

-Rachel & Brendan end up getting stuck in traffic on the way to the airport and are just hoping that everyone is in the same boat and they can still be the first team to the airport... but no such luck. -Dave & Connor are the first team on the first flight, followed by Luke & Margie.  Dave & Margie have an, "I'm too old for this" high five moment... it was cute.

Afghanimals - 6:36pm - Jamal jumps in front of a cab to get him to stop and they try to get across the fact they need to go to the airport by making airplane noises... "You don't speak Chinese, just make random noises."
John & Jessica - 6:49pm
Joey & Meghan - 6:50pm - the Internet is their life, it's their job, so to unplug completely has been an incredible outlet (doesn't sound like she's missing it, but enjoying actually getting out there and doing things - that's a good message.)

-At the airport - the Cowboys are the next team on the first flight, then the Globetrotters and the Country Singers... and they're all waiting to see who makes the final spot.
-Brendan & Rachel are still stuck in traffic - she's stressing out and he's trying to reassure her that they're not the only one's stuck... but it kind of looks like they are.
-Afghanimals are hoping that the cab luck is with them and some other teams are stuck or lost...
And it's a bit of a foot race when the Afghanimals and Brendan & Rachel get to the airport almost at the same time - the Afghanimals just make it to the counter for the sixth spot on the first flight leaving Brendan & Rachel right where they didn't want to be - first on the second flight and fighting not to be last.

-The last three teams, Brendan & Rachel, Joey & Meghan and John & Jessica have a bit of a bonding moment in the airport, wanting to try and work together to catch up to the first flight... they are all really friendly before they leave but I don't see that lasting through the leg.

First flight lands in Malaysian Borneo and they're running for taxis - Dan & Connor are the first team out and to the waterfall where they get the clue for the ROADBLOCK - Who will fall for this one?
-One person will have to strap the roaming gnome to their back and rappel down the 10 storey waterfall, retrieving their next clue on the way down.
-Dad/Dave is doing this one. 
-Afghanimals get there as well - Jamal does it.
-Dave gets it done pretty quickly and they read the Route Info clue to make their way to (some really long name) and follow the marked path to the river.
-Cowboys get to the waterfall and ginger Cord is doing the rappel.
-Luke is right behind them doing this one.
-Cord was so focused in trying to get down the waterfall wearing jeans that he missed the clue - it was on his left, he was looking right... he has to go again. (D'oh!) Which allows Luke & Margie to pass them.

-Globetrotters get there and once Big Easy is able to extricate himself from the cab, he finds out he's too big for the equipment so Flight Time has to do this task as well. (Poor guy, he better start being able to so some of these things or they could be in trouble.)
-Country singers are right behind them and Jennifer is going for them (hmm, I seem to remember she's not good in water...) but she does well.

2nd flight is just leaving China - or they just showed them leaving.

-Dave & Connor get to their next destination and they get the clue for the DETOUR - River Delivery or Run Through the Jungle.  No matter which task they choose, they first have to assemble a bamboo raft and ride it down the river to the task of their choice.
-In River Delivery, they have to transport goods on the river to a village, deliver the goods to the chief, then continue riding the rapids down the river.
-In Run Through the Jungle, they have to join a native hunting party, stalk through the jungle and hit a fake target with a blow pipe - then return to their raft and head down river.
Once the teams complete their journey down river, they'll get their next clue.

Dave & Connor decide on River Delivery.  First they have to build their raft which could be the hardest part in this whole thing.
-Afghanimals are right behind them and then Margie & Luke - all doing the River Delivery.
-Dave & Connor get the raft together, gather their supplies and head out on the river... and I forgot Dave is a crier.  He gets choked up talking about being healthy out on the river and being able to do this with his son. (I don't want to make fun of him, it was a nice sentiment - but suck it up!)
-Cowboys get there and they are also doing River Delivery - they seem excited to be building a raft as well. 
-Afghanimals get their stuff together and get out on the river - it makes sense for them to do a delivery instead of hunting for something (they proved last time they raced that finding things isn't their strong suit.)
-Margie & Luke try to get the raft on the river but just dragging it down there - the raft fell apart - they don't know how to tie knots. (That could be a huge issue.)
-Cowboys are their usual machine on the task and take off - Margie & Luke do get on the river but when they can't use their hands or see each other (one has to be in he front, one in the back) it's almost impossible for them to communicate - and they end up turned around and hitting shore.
-Country singers get there and decide they are going to Run Through the Jungle... (you go, ladies!)
-Globetrotters get there and take the time to interact with the locals, they miss entertaining and having fun like they do in their "jobs".  But down to raft building... will it be buoyant enough to float Big Easy?

-On the River - Dave & Connor see the marked sign for a village but Dave thought they had to go under 6 bridges and they'd only done 3 - the clue was in Connors pants... they kept going.
-Jamal & Leo come to the sign and read their clue - yup, this is the village where they have to deliver the goods - Dave & Connor must have missed it (Argghh! Coming back is going to be hell against the current, not good news for my team, Dave & Connor.)
-After delivering to the chief, Jamal & Leo come back down to the river as the Cowboys get there - they're not sure if it's the deliver or hunt place so they stop to check (smart) and they ask Leo & Jamal... who really want to lie, and last season would have lied... but they prove good guys and confirm, this is the right place for the delivery.  (OH, and they tell the camera it's because they don't want to be U-Turned again, so they're going to be nice to everyone. So, it's calculated, but smart.)
-Jet & Cord deliver their goods and get the next clue.

-Dave & Connor get to the next marked stop after the sixth bridge and they realize it's the hunting task and they've missed the delivery point. Connor, "Holy crap, Dad. We're toast."  They figure they have to keep going so they go past the hunting party, land their raft and then start walking back with their box of goods. (Huh? Are they going to try and walk back to the village?  I'm confused.)

Meanwhile - the Second flight has landed and the three remaining teams hit cabs for the waterfall.

-Jamal & Leo  hit the white water and it all goes sideways for them, literally - their raft gets stuck in some tree roots - they wrench it free but now their raft is falling apart and Jamal's in the water... when what should they see, the Cowboys enjoying their day of rafting, floating right on by. (I guess just telling the truth didn't make the Cowboys feel like they had to help them out.)
-Margie & Luke - make their delivery.
-Country Singers get caught up on a rock and have to get off their raft to free it - when Jen gets her finger caught... but after some minor drama, she's free and fine.
-Globetrotter also have trouble with the rapids and almost get caught in the same spot the Afghanimals did - but they make it through, only to hit larger rocks that dumps them off the raft but they're still holding on - no one's going to die today!

2nd group - gets to the waterfall
-John & Jessica - tell the cab to wait.
-Rachel & Brendan- also has their cab wait.
-Joey & Meghan - pay their cab driver and he leaves. (Uh oh!)

Back at the river - Dave & Connor are walking their box of goods back and finally find the chief - then they have to walk all the way back to where they left the raft way down river... well, nothing like doing it the hard way.

-Caroline & Jen and the Globetrotters get to the Run Through the Jungle task - the girls choose the girl warrior to be their guide (of course) and she shows them how to shoot with the blow gun/bamboo stick - Jen proves to be a great shot - like her grandpa John Wayne (oh yeah, she had to get that in there.) Caroline, not so good.
-Flight Time also knocks his stuffed bird out the tree - now it's Big Easy's turn.

-Dave & Connor hoof it back to the raft which is at their destination- so they just have to hand the wood they got from the chief to the raft master and they are the first team to get the clue to the
PIT STOP - it's a water village.  (Way to go!)
-Cowboys are the next team to finish, followed by the Afghanimals who look a little worse for wear after their harrowing trip down the river.

2nd group - Jessica rappels down the waterfall, Rachel right behind her (in her underwear because she didn't want to ruin her green sequined shorts) and finally Joey is the last one down the falls... and, since they didn't have their taxi wait for them, they have to head out on foot to try and find somewhere where they can get a taxi (that is unfortunate.)

1st group -Margie & Luke get pummelled in the rapids and their raft falls apart - they have to stop on shore and use her shirt to try and tie it back together to continue down the river.  It was a tough day for them.

-Meanwhile - Joey & Meghan are having flashbacks of the last time they were eliminated, not finding a taxi and having to walk three miles, in the snow, uphill (that's really what happened.) They know they're screwed, there are no taxis - they start to run.  Then they come to a village and someone is able to call them a cab! 

-Back at the Run Through the Jungle - Caroline is still trying to hit her bird - and she gets really close... but still no luck.
-Big Easy, gets it in his first try and they have a little party with the locals - do some dancing on the beach (these guys would be so much fun!) - then it's back on the river.
-And finally Caroline hits her bird - they are in sixth place at this point.

2nd group starts arriving at the Detour:
-John & Jessica are going to do the blow dart task.
-Brendan & Rachel are also choosing Run Through the Jungle.
-John & Jessica slapped together some bamboo- I wouldn't even call it a raft - that thing is not going to hold up, Brendan & Rachel's looked professional in comparison.
-But once out on the water - John & Jessica have canoeing experience and they were sailing down the river with no problems.  Brendan & Rachel, on the other hand, have a great looking raft but don't know what they're going - they get into trouble at the rapids and hit some rocks, get turned around and the raft starts falling apart.  True to form, Brendan is left to fix it while Rachel cries and loudly prays for divine intervention. (Shut up and help, sheesh!)

Joey & Meghan get to the Detour and they also choose Run Through the Jungle.  Their parents are carpenters so they are confident in constructing their raft.  (Uh, okay.)  They know they have a lot of time to make up so they better get a move on it.

-Brendan & Rachel are back on the river and he's literally trying to hold their raft together with his arms - Rachel'd like to know how the country singers did this.

-John & Jessica get to the hunt and they choose the girl guide as well (she must be the best! :)) - Jessica gets her bird on the first try and John struggles.

-Joey & Meghan get on the river and they are doing pretty well.

-Brendan & Rachel do not have smooth sailing - when they hit the actual rapids, they crunch right on some rocks, he falls off and the raft falls apart - so now they are both in the water with no raft... but they did grab the Gnome!
-True to form, Rachel's whining that they're done, he jumps in the water to find their cross piece and the rope... and he finds it - rebuilding the raft part...3?

-John finally kills his bird and they take off down the river.

-Brendan & Rachel have one more freak out "This is dangerous" moment in the rapids but they finally make it to the Hunt.  And neither proves very skilled with the blow dart.
-Brendan gets his bird... Rachel is trying and she was worried because they hadn't seen Joey & Meghan, didn't know if they'd done the other task... Rachel should just be focusing to get through this.

 Here's How They Finished:
1) Dave & Connor - Yay! "We Love the Gnome!"  They won a trip to Budapest, Hungary.
2) Jet & Cord - Heehaw guys!
3) Leo & Jamal - right behind the Cowboys on the mat.
4) Margie & Luke - communication is still and issue.
5) The Globetrotters - They're just glad they made it!
6) Caroline & Jennifer - technically last place from the first group, but they're still in it.
7) John & Jessica - Looking at these two, they should be placing better than they are- I think they need to get their confidence back.
8) Brendan & Rachel - Phil toys with them a little, "If there is one thing I can say about you, it's that you race hard... and you're still in the Race, you're team #8." That wasn't nice... but really, she was going to cry anyway.
9) Joey & Meghan - **ELIMINATED** - They thought they were a pretty tough team but this time around, playing with veterans has proven even more difficult.
-They wanted to give their fans the experience of going on the race with them again so it's kind of embarrassing to be out so soon... but what can you do. (I'm sorry to say, I don't think I'll really miss them.)
And with Joey & Meghan's elimination, Lois L, Kevin R.,Ozzy R., and Jessica C. are out of the pool.

Next week: Jessica fights through the pain (Ouch! Huge blisters on her feet) and Luke loses his cool (or has a tantrum, like usual) while trying to pour drinks (hmm, that looks interesting.)

Have a great week everyone,
Coleen

No comments:

Post a Comment