In yet another ridiculously predictable conclusion, Katie & Rachel were eliminated in The Amazing Race 17 Episode 5.
Teams depart in the order in which they arrived, or at least that’s what I’m assuming because they only show the first team to depart.
The first team’s departing at 8:26PM (and it’s still light outside), but with the train station not opening until 6AM, all the teams will be bunched together. Undeterred by the sign telling them it’s closed, Nat & Kat knock and find out that the first train to get them to the airport in Stockholm does not arrive until 10:26AM.
Another day, another argument between Chad & Stephanie. They get the last taxi. It’s her fault, as usual.
For all the drama, all the teams get on the same flight to St. Petersburg, Russia.
The detour is a choice between classical music or classical cinema. In classical music, teams will listen to three different compositions on gramphones, then figure out which three pianos in the ballroom full of pianos are playing the same compositions they heard earlier. In classical cinema, teams go to the first place a movie was screened in Russia, where they will search through piles of film clips to find the one matches the movie playing on the screen.
Classical Music: Chad & Stephanie, Nick & Vicki (switched from classical music to classical cinema to classical music)
Classical Cinema: Brook & Claire, Michael & Kevin, Jill & Thomas, Gary & Mallory (switched from classical music), Nat & Kat (switched from classical music)
Kevin thinks that having made some Youtube videos will help him in this task. He thinks wrong. Nonetheless, they seem to have picked the easier task because I can’t see how an untrained ear (or someone who hasn’t at least heard these songs before) could pick out the music with any amount of ease. Brook & Claire were in the lead, but that’s quickly blown by their cab driver, who puts them in last.
Chad & Stephanie are incorrect on their first guess. And their second guess. Gary & Mallory join the incorrectness. Then Nick & Vicki and Nat & Kat. Chad & Stephanie again, but she doesn’t want to take the hint and switch. Nick & Vicki are wrong again. Gary & Mallory as well. Then Nat & Kat again. One by one they’re bailing and heading to the other task, but Stephanie insists on sticking around. They’re wrong again. Then again. Do they want to go yet? No. Wrong again. Still not leaving. How about after they’re wrong again? She still insists on staying. This pays off, as they finally get it right. I’d call it dumb luck more than anything because sticking around until you basically had no choice but to finish the task hardly seems like a wise move.
Thomas has the easy theory about the movie they’re watching. Just look for Russian words in the clip because those pop out. Somehow, this works. The other teams are not having so much luck, repeatedly getting denied. Brook & Claire eventually get it, to put themselves back into second place. The teams sticking around at the music place are just killing time now. Seeing words at the top like Thomas did, Kevin solves the task. Now it’s time to see just how long it takes for the other task takers to start getting the hint. Gary & Mallory are the first to get a clue and switch. Talking with Nick & Vicki about how the other detour is stupid, Nat & Kat decide to switch detours with them. Nat & Kat are out first, leaving the other two battling for last. Mallory is behind them, leaving the Vegas couple behind.
Nick suggests going back to the piano thing. This will not end well. They are at least able to finish the task, though. Their only hope is a nonelimination.
The next stop is the location found on their film can or record, Palace Square. From there, they head to Alexandraovskaya. This takes them to the sticks, and they’re about to find out why.
The road block is to become babushkas and put in a proper day’s work in the fields. They will put on traditional (female) clothing and then plant a row of 50 potatoes, fertilizing their crop with a very generous helping of cow manure.
Road block (in order of arrival): Brook, Kevin, Jill, Nat, Stephanie, Mallory, Nick
This is dirty work that will take some energy, but it’s pretty straightforward and hard to screw up too much. The hardest thing is finding out where to go, with none of the locals speaking any English. Mallory does find a new friend, though, who would like her to come in for some vodka. Then she gets to climb through the manure after Stephanie sabotages her by tossing the shovel up the mound (why was the course designed to allow for sabotage?).
The pit stop for this leg of the race is St. Isaac’s Cathedral.
First: Jill & Thomas (win a trip to Sao Paolo)
Second: Brook & Claire
Third: Michael & Kevin
Fourth: Nat & Kat
Fifth: Chad & Stephanie
Sixth: Gary & Mallory
Noneliminated: Nick & Vicki
This is really a struggle this season to create a leg that we don’t know what the outcome will be. The only question is elimination or nonelimination. The answer is that Nick & Vicki have not been eliminated.
Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of The Amazing Race 17 Episode 7, which airs Sunday at 8/7c on CBS.