Amazing Race - April 25th Episode Recap

I Feel Like I'm In, Like, Sicily (Shanghai)

Since there was no Amazing Race last week - quick recap shows us how Carol & Brandy were U-Turned by Caite & Brent and how very badly they took it, couldn't make up the time and were eliminated.
That means four teams remain; brothers Dan & Jordan, Caite & Brent, Cowboys Jet & Cord and the Detectives Michael & Louie.  Caite is remarkably the last woman standing - she says she's been competitive since she was 5yrs old and no one is going to get in her way (Wow, that was very specific, I wonder what happened when she was 5?)

The teams are starting out from the amazingly clean Singapore - Dan & Jordan are the first team (having taken advantage of the Fast Forward on the last leg) to depart at 4:47pm - get the clue to fly 2300mi to Shanghai, China. Once there they have to travel by taxi to Zhujiajiao, known as the Venice of China, where boats (like gondolas) will deliver them to their next clue.
-Dan says jokingly that he hates Jordan as much today as he always has - Jordan loves his brother for making his dream of running the Race come true. (Awww.)
-Caite & Brent are the next out at 6:18pm - they are still giddy that they were able to successfully oust the Carol & Brandy with the U-Turn.  Caite is flipping out she's the last girl standing - hopeful that this will show the haters what she is capable of.
-Cowboys next out at7:04pm - Jet tells us he's married an has a 17month old daughter and he is very homesick - Cord says he got engaged just before the race started - Kind of strange, asks a woman to spend the rest of her life with him then... hold that thought - I'll be right back. (He's a cutie - she'll wait, especially if he comes back 1/2 mil richer.)
-Detectives are the last out at 7:35pm - Michael says they are the old guys in the race and often the old guys get underestimated.  They have more experience and think the other teams should fear them.

-Everyone hooks up at the airport at the McDonalds (how American) as the ticket window doesn't open until 22:25 - they'll all be on the first flight out.
-Dan & Jordan didn't know anything about the U-Turn drama so the Detectives call their "wolf cubs" over to recount the tail.  Caite relishes in the retelling - "I'M U-Turning Carol & Brandy!"  Louie says she should have said, "Wait, let me get my tiara."  (Hehheh.)  Caite - Only girl left! Woot! (We are so proud.)

-Dan & Jordan tell the camera that Brent & Caite's decision to U-Turn Carol & Brandy was so driven by personal issues - it was a poor decision because the Cowboys are incredibly strong competitors and that's the team toU-turn at that point in the game.  Jordan says they will all question that decision in the days to come.

-They all are on the same flight heading to Shanghai, China.  They land at 6:10am local time and everyone bursts out of the airport.  Cowboys get the first cab, their driver is fast and is taking them to the right place.  Brent & Caite are right behind them - but both Dan & Jordan and the Detectives get cab drivers that don't speak any English and have no idea where they need to go.  They stop at the side of the road and confer - much to the teams in their cabs consternation.

-Cowboys and Brent & Caite make it to Zhujiajiao - Cord leaves his bag with the cab driver - everyone else carries theirs (okay, that makes me nervous.)
-Brent & Caite get on the first boat, Cowboys went the wrong way but they find the boats and are not too far behind them.
-The boats are being poled through a canal - Brent says it feels like they're in, like, Sicily... (proving again that Caite's speech about Americans not having maps and such as, was actually correct.)
-Jet says it was a pretty place, very tranquil.  Cord - what? Tranquil? What's that?  (Oh my gravy...) Apparently that is Cord's vocab word of the day - makes fun of Jet for using a big word,  he thinks he should write that down.

-Dan & Jordan and Michael & Louie are still all together and lost - they ask a police officer or soldier for directions but still no one is speaking English - Michael says it was like trying to communicate with Aliens, on the plane someone told them about 1/3 of the people would speak English but they have only met the other 2/3s so far.

-Other teams get to the ROADBLOCK - Noodles are a staple of life in China - they must master the complex art of making noodles by hand.  They will get a short demo then have to make 100g of acceptable noodles -  Once they are done, Ping Ping, the smallest man in the world, will hand them their next clue.  Caite and Jet are making the noodles.  She keeps losing one end of the dough, knocking the bowl off the scale.  Jet is better with his hands but he does break the dough and says, "This ain't like ropin'."

-Dan & Jordan are so frustrated with their cab driver - Michael & Louie as well say, "This is torture."  They know you are only as good as the cab driver you get in this race sometimes.  They finally get somewhere where a woman speaks English and is able to direct the cab drivers on where to go.  I think they wanted to kiss her and take her with them.

-Back at the noodlemaking it is going slowly.  Caite is very heavy handed and is having problems.  Jet is more gentle and, in usual Cowboy fashion, is catching on quickly - figures out the flour keeps the noodles from sticking together and he's the noodle whisperer.

-Dan & Jordan and the Detectives finally arrive - Jordan's making the noodles for them and Louie for the Detectives since he remembers helping his Italian Grandmother make pasta as a kid. (Is it in the genes?)
-Jordan says Jet is a master with his hands and is jealous of the Cowboys seeming ability to control things that the others just can't seem to control. (I think Jordan wants to be a cowboy.)
-Jet finishes first (of course) and gets the clue to make their way back to Shanghai to the garment district.  Cord says he's got to get his bag (I was so worried about that but things did go their way again and he will be able to go back to the same cab driver - that is lucky.)
-Caite sucks at noodle making - Brent is frustrated with her and yelling for her to hurry up.  She tells him to shut up, she's doing fine.  (I've noticed she's been much calmer with Carol & Brandy gone - I think she's much happier with only guys around.)

-Cowboys get back to their cab, Cord has his bag and they head out for the next clue.  In the cab they comment about Ping Ping (he really was creepily tiny) having a cigarette in his mouth that looked like a cigar next to him - Cord - "I guess smoking really does stunt your growth." Ba-dum-cha (that's my rim shot.)

-Back at the noodle making, Jordan is complaining about how cold his hands are (I saw Santa in some of the shop windows so it's probably December when they were doing this - Cooollldd in China.)  Louie's noodles are sticking together, Michael yells at him to add flour - Louie, "My Grandmother is turning over in her grave right now."

-Cowboys marvelling at the city of Shanghai - they had seen Shanghai Noon but never thought they'd go there.  Cord says they are definitely not afraid to build building tall in the East.

-Caite's finally getting the hang of the noodle making - Michael asks her, when she's done if she could make a pound for Louie too.  Louie breaks out the Italian to get himself into it - Ah, manga, mangs - channelling grandma.  Brent is yelling at Caite again - we don't have all day.  (Just chill out Ken doll.)

-Cowboys get to the next clue - tells them to go into the Fashion House and work together.  They have to choose a model who will give them a sketch of an outfit.  They must find all the right articles of clothing among the racks and tables, give the clothes to the model to put on the outfit and if they correctly match the scetch they will get their next clue.  Jet - Oh shoot, more fine arts.  First drumming then this.
-They are like fish out of water - trying to match the colour of tights - are those socks or high boots?  Cord - Don't let the clothes fool ya, we're into the fashion world.  (He's such a joker.) Jet - Oh, right, Jeez.

-Caite finally finishes the noodles - gives Ping Ping a kiss and they take off. Jordan & Louie feel the added pressure once Brent & Caite leave and step it up.  Jordan is getting whiny and frustrated that the guys rejecting all his sticking noodles.  "I can't do it that way." (He needs some cheese with that whine.)
-Louie knows it's his chance to get ahead o another team and steps up his game - He's Italian, he can do this - and he gets the 100g and they take off.  Telling Jordan to hang in there.
-Jordan is still having problems, his hands are freezing and it's delicate work.  Dan gives him a hug - tellsim to relax and keep going - Jordan breaks down a little, crying - "I hate this so much."

-Cowboys get their model dressed and they are wolf-whistling trying to make the designer believe they're right - but no-go.  They have everything on the sketch except the shirt is wrong. "It's not easy out here on the trail."  Back to the racks and Jet finds the right shirt  - they get the next clue to make their way to the Football Stadium.  Off they go.

-Brent & Caite get to the fashion house and start picking an outfit.
-Michael & Louie get there right behind them and get the clue.  The cluebox is out on the street right in front of the fashion house but the Detectives read the clue then take off looking for the fashion house - What the..?
-Brent & Caite think this is right up their alley being models and all but he's better at it - she's used to being given the clothes not having to pick them out. (I think he just has an iota more capacity to focus and notice details.)

-Jordan finally completes the noodles - there is an awkward man-hug with the noodle chef and he gets the clue from Ping Ping.  They take off in their cab and Dan - You smell like noodles.

-Caite thinks it'll be hilarious watching the Dad's try to do this - but the Detectives are still out wandering the streets looking for the Fashion House.   Brent & Caite have the clothes together - Caite asks the model if she needs her tiara to help her (at least she can laugh about it now.)

-Cowboys get to the Huge Football stadium and it's another ROADBLOCK - First time ever there have been two Roadblocks in one leg - Person who sat out he first one must do this one and it won't be easy.
-Using a small picture for reference, they must assemble a large puzzle tha's been cut into 96 separate cards.  They will then hand out the cards to spectators in the stands, who will flip them over - if they've assembled them correctly it will spell out a section, row, seat # - location of their clue to the Pit Stop.
-Cord, "Oh my gravy.  Looks like I'm trying to make a dragon."  Jet says of Cord, "there may be places he's not as talented as other people (nice way of calling him dim?) but he always made it up in try." Glad to have him as a team mate.

-Brent & Caite got the outfit right on the first try, get their clue and head out.
-Detectives finally decide to head back to the cluebox, maybe look for a second floor that may be this Fashion house- as they pass the cluebox Michael looks over and notices the door - Hey, what's this?  Louie - Some detectives we are.  They head in and start assembling their outfit, still feeling like idiots.
-Dan & Jordan show up and head in to the fashion house with no problem.  Jordan is in his element, Michael could tell.
-Louie & Michael get it wrong first time - change to black stockings.  Michael laments, "This is not my forte.  Can we have a shooting challenge - Please?"

-Cord is working on his puzzle - gust of wind takes some of the pieces away - Whoa wind.
-Brent & Caite show up and he has to do the task.  Caite whines that she freakin' loves puzzles. 

-Back at the Fashion house the Detectives are wrong again and Dan & Jordan are wrong too - they figure out their models just need to switch tights - send them back together to switch.
-Michael & Louie's model is out first and they're right this time - get the clue and take off for the stadium.  Jordan is pleading with Model to please hurry  - she comes out and they're right too - take off telling their cabbie to "follow that cab."  (I wonder if they've always wanted to say that?)
-They all get to the stadium and read the clue - so Michael has to do the puzzle and Jordan says "Oh thank god" when he realizes he doesn't have to do this one.

-Cord & Brent getting close and  gust of wind comes up and blows a whole bunch of their pieces away.  Brent has a conniption - "I was so close" - looking around like someone's going to give him a pass - (suck it up and start over, princess.)
-Cord - Whoa wind, whoa. (Like he's gentling a horse) he ends up lying across a bunch of pieces to keep them from flying away.
-Brent, pouting, stalks over and grabs their bags. Caite tells him to calm down but he continues his tantrum and uses the bags to anchor his puzzle. Caite - he's so pissed right now.
-Cord uses some folding chairs to lay on his cards - "Yeah, it was frustrating, but kicking and screaming wasn't gonna get my puzzle done." (He's so even tempered - I love the Cowboys) Whoa wind.  Cord got his puzzle together first - handed out the cards, got the coordinates and found the clue to the Pit Stop - the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum.
-The Cowboys head out and find the Metro and head for the Museum - 5 stops away.

-Brent finishes his puzzle, hands out the pieces, gets the coordinates and the clue for the Pit Stop - they take off.
-Michael is looking for each individual piece to complete his puzzle - Jordan is using his Dad's method of finding the corners, making the frame then filling it in.  He's making better progress.
-Michael got fixated on finding one piece and it ate a lot of time  - Dan finishes the puzzle first and gets the clue.  Michael's not going to give up though.
-The Detectives were there so long the lights came on in the stadium - Louie gives Michael a hug - I love you man - they're sad, they've had the journey of a lifetime and don't want their race to end.

Here's How They Finished:
1) Jet & Cord - they won a luxury trip for 2 to Alaska - sweet.  They've won 4 legs and trips around the world, but they won't be going with each othere.  Jet is very proud of his brother, Cord is happy to hear it.
2) Brent & Caite - Excellent - 2nd is not bad. (I'm shocked they're still there, honestly.)
3) Dan & Jordan - Team #3 - Dan came here to do one thing, to give Jordan his dream - that's been achieved.  (I accidentily typed "to give Jordan his ream" which kind of made me laugh, then cringe - they are brothers - ew.)
4) Michael & Louie - Last team to arrive.  Phil says, "Sorry to tell you... you are out... in the cold."  This is a NON-ELIMINATION round. (I can hear Carol & Brandy howling at the injustice now.)  Louie tells Phil, "I love you man."  They will face a Speed Bump next leg.  They live to fight another day - Want to be able to say they finished the Amazing Race - First, second or third - just want to go to the end.

So no one is out of the Pools this week - surviving Poolians all live to watch and possibly win another day as well.

Preview of next week - Caite gets frustrated with the crowds in China (telling people to leave her alone) and Dan freaks out in the back of a cab, wants Jordan to let him out so he can punch their driver. (That's not good.)

Have a great week everyone,
And GO CANUCKS GO!

Coleen