Bucky reports on last night's Amazing Race, which is zooming to its close. (Also, yes, this photo is from last week's episode, but it was the most recent I could find, and the set up team shots are getting old):
The penultimate leg of The Amazing Race will be run in Shanghai, the site of last week's Pit Stop. This means the Detectives not only have to do a Speed Bump (an extra task, because last week's leg was a non-elimination leg) but also will start this week's leg way behind, based on their previous finish.
At departure teams are directed to go to the Garden Bridge for their next clue. However, Phil tells us in voice-over that the Shanghailians refer to the bridge by its Chinese name. Thus, a language barrier problem is automatically inserted into the first task.
The Cowboys depart first and get directions to the "Park Bridge" (we learn in subtitles) instead of the Garden Bridge. Ooops…
Brent & Caite initially have trouble getting any information, but then happen upon a local who Googles up the correct location. (OK, maybe not Googles up … but finds it somehow.) They surge into the lead. Caite, the last female in the race, is just full of hubris tonight and at one point says anyone who thought she was dumb can "go screw themselves." Is that any way for Miss Teen South Carolina to talk? Brent also talks some smack about people who think Caite is dumb.
The Brothers have a horrible time getting any information about the Garden Bridge, taking so long that they are still at it when it is finally time for the Detectives to depart. In one of the savviest moves of the season (my opinion) the Brothers decide to try to partner up with the Detectives. They explain that their strategy is to "never work alone in last place." If the Detectives will partner with them, the Brothers will have an advantage because the Detectives will have to do the extra Speed Bump task. Smart move. And the Detectives fall for it.
By this time Brent & Caite and the Cowboys have gotten to the Garden Bridge, found their clue and are off to perform the Road Block. They must count all the golden statues in a temple. There are 521 little statues that look like they are just waiting to be counted and two bigger statues that are sitting there, hiding in plain sight. The clue says, "count all".
Caite begins first, working for their team, followed by Jet, working for the Cowboys. But Caite takes four attempts to count them all, while Jet nails it on his first try. This brings the teams even. They race to get their next clue.
Meanwhile, back at the departure point, after stumbling around for some time, Michael finally hits on the idea of calling a translator service to translate "Garden Bridge" into Chinese. Good thinking, if a little late. They get the Chinese name and each team grabs a cab. The Detectives give the destination to their driver, while the Brothers use the "follow that cab up ahead" method. Yes, you guessed it. The cabs get separated and the Brothers fall behi…NO! WAIT! Through either a miracle or crafty television editing, the Brothers arrive at the Garden Bridge at the same time the Detectives do and both teams head for the Road Block together.
The Cowboys and Brent & Caite have found the next clue which tells them to ride in a motorcycle with a sidecar through the crowded streets of Shanghai, to the Detour. We see them actually racing through traffic. Very funny, especially because they are wearing helmets and goggles that remind me of Rocky in the old cartoon show, "Rocky and Bullwinkle."
Back at the Garden Bridge, the Detectives find their Speed Bump, which is so lame I'm not even going to recap it. Daniel starts counting statues for the Brothers and gets the correct number the first try. The Detectives arrive quickly from the Lame Bump and Louie does the counting. His first try is…yes! He is two statues short. I give him credit, though…he re-reads his clue more carefully and picks up on the fact that he was suppose to count "all statues." So the error doesn't cost them a ton of time, but they wrangle a motorcycle/sidecar in last place.
The next destination is tonight's Detour and just to simplify things here (because they all choose to do the same task) let's just say the teams have to go through many display cases containing many, many…jade?...stamps until they find the two with their names on the bottom. When they do, they will get directions to the Pit Stop. Brent & Caite start first, but Brent has to go to the bathroom. Much drama ensues because while he's at the bathroom, Caite can't keep searching on her own. (Apparently that's the rule; I didn't know it.) Caite tells him to tough it out; Brent whines (but probably with reason, admittedly), the Cowboys arrive and begin searching, Brent whines some more, Caite finally gives in, the Cowboys close the gap…but after all the drama, Brent & Caite finish still with a small lead.
However, Brent & Caite have trouble finding a taxi to the Pit Stop while the Cowboys find one in short order, so they now appear to be in the lead.
The Brothers and the Detectives arrive and start searching for their stamps.
The Cowboys arrive at the Pit Stop destination first, but have some trouble finding Phil, the mat and the local greeter, who turns out to be the World's Tallest Man. (No relation, I'm sure.) After an acceptable amount of time on the editor's part in trying to build drama, Brent & Caite finish first, followed by the Cowboys. Brent & Caite win a trip to the coast of Spain, which I'm pretty sure Caite confuses with Mexico, another country where they speak Spanish. (OK, look…I've shown what I think has been admirable restraint in not taking cheap shots at Caite all season. But her attitude tonight dropped her to the bottom of my list, so all bets are off now.)
Both of those teams are in the final and now the REAL race begins between the Brothers and the Detectives…the one for the final spot in next week's finale.
How far are they behind the first two teams? Night falls in Shanghai…
The Brothers find the stamps with their names first and head for the Pit Stop. While the editors try to make us think it was close, I don't think it was. They beat the Detective to the finish and the Brothers round out the finalist teams. The Detectives depart with their heads held high. (Although, if they hadn't fallen for the Brothers' "let's partner up" strategy, I'm pretty sure they would be in the finals and the Brothers would still be searching for the Garden Bridge.)
So, there you go. Next week: a winner! Who do you think will win? Who do you want to win?
(Photo of Brother and Detective at the noodle challenge from last episode courtesy of CBS)