We’re back again with another Amazing Race: All-Stars episode recap and, just like last week, this one’s a doozy. Like always, if spoilers are not your thing, and you haven’t seen last night’s episode, stop reading now! For those that dare, follow me…
Fresh off of three consecutive first-place wins, Ramber were first to leave the pit-stop and fly over 800 miles to Punta Arenas, Chile — will the teams ever leave Chile? Who knows! — landing at Carlos Ibanez Del Campo International Airport. It is here that the teams will search out Lord Lonsdale’s Shipwreck, the location of their next clue. Rob and Amber, along with Uchenna & Joyce, Dustin & Kandice, Oswald & Danny, and Eric & Danielle, board the early flight bound for the End of the World, Punta Arenas. Teri and Ian squeeze their way onto the flight, but Charla & Mirna and Joe & Bill don’t make it in time, and are forced to take a later flight.
Once the teams land and make their way to the shipwreck, they find their next clue, a detour: Navigate It or Sign It. In Navigate It, teams were required to follow a map and use a compass to locate a building. Really. In Sign It, teams had to carry a huge load of crap up a bunch of stairs, paint locations on signs and put them in the correct order of Magellan’s journey. For some bizarre reason, Rob & Amber and Uchenna & Joyce choose the latter, and pay for it. Rob — who is apparently a history buff — knew the proper order of the journey, but failed to copy down the correct spelling of the Philippines (Phillipeans?) which botched the entire detour. Once Uchenna & Joyce correctly solved the sign puzzle, Ramber and the now sign-detouring Dustin & Kandice decide to switch to Navigate It. At this point, all the other teams who chose the painfully easy Navigate It have moved on to the next clue: head back to the airport and sign up for a chartered flight to Ushuaia, Argentina — a popular jumping off port for heading to Antarctica.
Okay wait, I’m lost. Where are we now? Is it just me, or does the Amazing Race have a new editor — one that isn’t as skilled at making sure the viewer knows exactly where each team is at all times? I’m constantly forgetting about teams throughout the course of an episode, and every time Teri & Ian show up on-screen I think, wait, who are these people? Are they on the Race?
Right, we’re back at the airport, waiting for teams to either Navigate it or Sign It. Eric & Danielle wisely chose Navigate It and are first to sign up for the charter flight to Ushuaia. Oswald & Danny and Teri & Ian (who?) are close behind. As the three pack-leaders hang out at the airport, Charla & Mirna and Joe & Bill arrive for the detour. Charla & Mirna — out to make exciting television, no doubt — choose Sign It and immediately run into trouble just getting all the supplies necessary to create the sign up the stairs. Wisely, Joe & Bill choose to navigate to quickly pass up Ramber and Dustin & Kandice — making it back to the airport before both. Charla & Mirna switch back to Navigate it — please, let this detour end already! — and finally finish. I’m sure I left some stuff out there, but seriously… why am I finding this season so confusing?
Landing in Ushuaia, Teri & Ian run around like headless chickens looking for the clue box, while O&D and E&D find it and hail a taxi to Bahia La Pataia, where they take a boat to the post office on the southernmost point in South America, Isla Redonda. At the post office, one team member must sort through a bag of mail and find a letter addressed to them from a previous Amazing Race team. This Road Block sounds a bit boring, but I think it’s necessary to have tasks that don’t necessarily require speed or agility. It allows other teams that might be challenged in that area to move ahead, and that’s exactly what happens here. O&D were the first to complete this task, and they headed to the pit stop for this leg of the race with E&D following behind. Joe & Bill are next to arrive, followed by Dustin & Kandice, leaving Uchenna & Joyce, Charla & Mirna, and Rob & Amber fighting for the last two spots of non-elimination.
Uchenna & Joyce lead the pack and hail a taxi to the boat, leaving the other two teams behind. Ramber run ahead and steal Charla & Mirna’s taxi, and hop on the boat headed for the post office. Charla & Mirna quickly hail another cab and head to the boat dock and wait their turn with the other two teams already at the post office. Uchenna and Joyce find their letter and head for the pit stop, while Rob searches frantically as Charla and Mirna arrive. This is where the less active and more mental tasks play a huge role, as anything physical would have resulted in Rob quickly finishing before Charla or Mirna. Instead, Mirna finds the letter first…leaving Rob and Amber shocked to find themselves in last place and facing elimination.
How a team like Rob & Amber can go from first place to last in a single leg seems crazy, but a collection of poor choices and bad luck proves that anything can happen. Rob & Amber go home, much to the celebration of the remaining teams. Now that the top competitors are out, the game is wide open. Even so, my money is on Uchenna & Joyce once again. The couple are quick, athletic, smart, and don’t bicker much. I see them winning the million dollar prize once again.
Catch us next Monday for another recap of the Amazing Race: All-Stars!