The Amazing Race is back for season 17 with a new cast of 11 teams racing around the world to compete for the $1 million prize. Tonight’s episode is scheduled to start half an hour late. I just hope they come close to that target.
Chad & Stephanie have been dating for 8 months. He plans to propose on the race. Odds are this will not end well. Connor & Jonathan plan to sing a lot on the race. Nick & Vicki don’t want to be judged by the covers they’ve spent so much time ruining their bodies with. Thomas thinks he’s always right, a disastrous attitude to have on the race.
We start off in Gloucester, MA, a small town on the bay. Not exactly the place where you would expect them to start.
Phil has a warning. There’s a twist. I hate twists. Whoever checks in first on this first leg will receive an express pass, which can be used to skip any challenge at any time up to the eighth leg of the race.
There are two flights at Logan Airport, and the first is scheduled to arrive 30 minutes earlier. It has room for only three teams. They will be flying to London, England and driving to Stonehenge.
Ron & Tony arrive at the airport first, followed by Chad & Stephanie. The third team to arrive is Jill & Thomas. Katie & Rachel are there shortly after, but they fuss around at their car rather than hopping on the same shuttle. The rest of the order is really quite irrelevant since everybody else is on the second flight. Nonetheless, Gary & Mallory and Brook & Claire make sure to leave Nat & Kat behind rather than letting them on their shuttle.
They have a special counter setup for the racers. Chad & Stephanie didn’t get the hint, and they decide to wait in line. This causes a bit of drama but merely makes them the third team to arrive, with the blondes shortly behind them.
As everybody else sits around the airport killing time, Connor & Jonathan finally show up in dead last and are just lucky to be getting out of Boston.
First flight (departs at 7:15PM): Ron & Tony, Jill & Thomas, Chad & Stephanie
Second flight (departs at 7:45PM): Katie & Rachel, Gary & Mallory, Andie & Jenna, Brook & Claire, Michael & Kevin, Nat & Kat, Nick & Vicki, Connor & Jonathan
When they get to London, the first trick is to figure out what side of the street to drive on. I just hope nobody came on the race and was stupid enough not to know how to drive stick. Ron & Tony make sure they get a map at the first chance. Chad is already yelling and willing to make this a miserable experience.
Half an hour earlier departure does not necessarily mean half an hour earlier arrival. However, the first flight still has a 21 minute advantage.
Nat is a diabetic, which will be a challenge to manage during the race.
Speaking of not knowing how to drive stick, Andie knows how, sort of, but hasn’t done it in a long time. Their car dies in the middle of traffic. That could be a game ender. Connor & Jonathan try to help to no avail. After a lame cliffhanger commercial break, the car starts moving again. Like I said, lame. She’s not alone. Katie is also struggling with her driving.
The point of visting this bunch of rocks? To get a clue. This clue tells them to go to Eastnor Castle. Flight order is proving irrelevant, as the first people arriving at Stonehenge are Nat & Kat, who were on the second flight. They decide to work together with Brook & Claire for some girl power.
Once at the castle, teams must climb the wall, being guarded by a mob of peasants, then travel across the moat using an ancient boat that will sink more times than not. Jill & Thomas join the girls as the first three teams at the castle, all running neck and neck. Behind them are Chad & Stephanie and Katie & Rachel. Here we see the difference between the supportive Thomas and the hot headed Chad. Chad’s impatience isn’t helping them any either, and their inability to work together will cost them at least a couple spots.
Hopelessly lost, Gary & Mallory stop at a gas station… where they get a flat. Connor & Jonathan aren’t sure what to do now. Do they leave them there or wait? The choice is obvious. Man up and go on ahead. Problem is Gary & Mallory now have a donut on their car, which won’t get them very far or very fast. At least they’re going somewhere, though, whereas Ron & Tony are still looking for Stonehenge.
After the boat ride, the road block for this leg of the race is to use a ballista to fire watermelons at a knight 50 feet away, knocking all the armor off of it.
Road block (in order of arrival): Thomas, Claire, Nat, Rachel, Connor, Chad, Gary, Michael, Jenna, Nick
Everything seems to be going fine for the first couple teams. That is until Claire goes to make a shot, and it backfires and hits herself in the face. I don’t think they thought this challenge through very thoroughly. She says she can’t feel her face, but she has to finish and hope she doesn’t get struck in the head again. There is no out. They don’t call it The Amazing Race for nothing.
By this point, three teams are bringing up the rear, still searching for the castle: Andie & Jenna, Ron & Tony, and Nick & Vicki. Andie & Jenna finally buy a map, which has the castle on it, and should eliminate their worries. Ultimately it’s Nick & Vicki who arrive after them, leaving Ron & Tony with merely a hope that somebody struggles on the boats or at the watermelon challenge. Nick & Vicki being unable to figure out what a flag is may help some. They can’t figure out what the boat is either. This all just seems like extra drama to make it seem closer than it is, though, as it would appear that Ron & Tony are goners.
After the road block, teams must search the grounds to find the pit stop, which is a meadow at Eastnor Castle. This proves to be a tall order for one team. Chad & Stephanie had been in sixth place after the road block but wandered around aimlessly for some time.
First: Jill & Thomas (win the express pass)
Second: Nat & Kat
Third: Connor & Jonathan
Fourth: Brook & Claire
Fifth: Katie & Rachel
Sixth: Gary & Mallory
Seventh: Michael & Kevin
Eighth: Chad & Stephanie
Ninth: Andie & Jenna
Tenth: Nick & Vicki
Eliminated: Ron & Tony
In an anticlimactic conclusion, Ron & Tony have been eliminated from the race.
Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of The Amazing Race 17 Episode 2 A Kiss Saves the Day, which airs Sunday at 8/7c on CBS.