Thoughts on Episode 10 and Outlook for Episode 11, the Finale

Thoughts on Episode Ten: The Great Escape

First Route Info

Airport Shuffle

The first three teams were bunched fairly closely together, something like 20 minutes separating them as they left the Pit Stop. At the airport, a quirky scene happened as Ronald and Christina claimed the only pair of tickets on first flight to Taipei on JAL at 1 PM, and Christina told the ticket agent to tell Nate and Jen that the flight is full, which it was. Jen was livid, upset with Christina, but they had to go to China Air to check for tickets, as did Nicolas and Donald. Ron and Christina landed in Taipei at 6:51 PM, all by themselves in the lead. Somehow, when Jen and Nate arrived in Taipei on China Air, they returned to the "immigration clearance" (customs) line only to find TK and Rachel ahead of them. In an interview with Christopher Rocchio for Reality TV World, Jen offered her thought that TK and Rachel were on the same flight, but she did not see them during the flight. In their post Race interview with Christopher Rocchio for Reality TV World, TK and Rachel said that they were actually on a 1:35 flight that made better time than the 1:15 flight, which accounted for their being ahead in the immigration clearance line. Now it would be a three way race for last place, with TK and Rachel still at a disadvantage due to the Speed Bump.

Second Route Info

Teams have to travel by taxi to Taipei Main Station, the high-speed rail train station to receive their next clue. That clue directs them to take the train to Taichung, then taxi to small town of Jiji and find Acrobatics Jeep. Key thing is that TK learns that it is always faster to use electronic ticket machine that has English language option than to go to counter for tickets. All other teams go to counter, and encounter lines and delays. This nifty trick is repeated by TK later on.

Roadblock

Teaser Clue: Who's ready to go for a tricky ride?

Paraphrased from the website: At Acrobatics Jeep in Jiji, Taiwan, one team member had to ride one vehicle driven by a stunt driver onto a giant teeter totter then ride another vehicle underwater, where they had to hold their breath for 17 seconds. If they came out alive, they would receive their next clue.

This Roadblock was particularly easy, posing little or no challenge to Racers, even the oldsters.

Speed Bump for Rachel and TK

From the website: The pair had to travel just over one mile to He-Ping and take part in a traditional Chinese ritual that takes place annually during the Lantern Festival. First, they had to put on safety suits to make a harrowing dash through a gauntlet of fireworks which were being aimed right at them. Then, in a local custom in Jiji, they had to be doused with water. They appeared petrified at the prospect, but successfully made the dash and took the dousing.

Third Route Info

Teams had to take high-speed rail back to Taipei and find the GK Tea House. Ron has easy time figuring out addresses and spots the teahouse ahead of the cab driver. At the teahouse, they had to drink down a very hot cup of tea to reveal their next destination, a clown in the nearby Gong Guan Night Market. Ron and Christina read the Chinese clue themselves, but need a little help figuring out that they need to spot a happy clown. TK and Rachel catch huge break when Jen and Nathan cannot buy tickets for 7:36 PM train and have to settle for 8PM train. TK and Rachel again buy tickets at machine instead of counter and appear at the train, giving Jen and the others fits. Jen and Nathan have trouble finding the teahouse, even more than TK and Rachel. The clue is for the Detour, detailing the options and locations.

Detour

Fire: From the website: Teams made their way to Zhongzheng Park to participate in a mystical Chinese ritual by writing messages of luck, good or bad, on lanterns. They had to burn "spirit money" under the lanterns, filling them with hot air that would lift the lanterns into the sky and carry their messages to the spirits above. Once a Team sent 20 sky lanterns into the air, they would receive their next clue.

No teams selected this time consuming Detour option.

Earth: Paraphrased from the website: Teams made their way to the Youth Park in Taipei, where both teammates had to walk 220 foot long path barefoot over jagged stones, and then come back the same way to receive their next clue. The path is part of a local custom used to reduce stress.

All four teams chose to do Earth, some more quickly than others

Detour En Route To Detour

Jen and Nate get misleading advice from young person on street that it might be faster to take a subway and bus than a cab, because traffic is too bad that time of night. Could the young person have thought that the subway was the only comparison, then remembered that a short bus ride was also needed, without correcting the conclusion? Jen seemed to buy into that bad advice more than Nate, and he could not convince her to stop and think about it and turn around. Could he have been firmer sooner? Accepting the bad advice put them well behind the second and third teams, Nicolas and Donald and Rachel and TK at that point after barely trailing Rachel and TK coming out of the teahouse. Worse yet was the heated exchanges. The worst of it was Nate telling Jen on the bus that she was such a poor teammate.

Pit Stop

All teams are given clue that they are to make their way by taxi to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Plaza, or Memorial Park, the Pit Stop for this leg of the Race. TK and Rachel experience a bit of a delay hailing a cab because the cabbies are having trouble with his reading of the clue until he simply shows it to them. TK worries about leaving his friends Nicolas and Donald on way to Pit Stop, but this is a competition. Nate and Jen realize by the time they are done that they are in last place.

Sad scene at end with Jen and Nate crying, realizing they lost more than the shot at the million. They were heartsick that they had "killed" their relationship doing the Race. Both were distraught that the relationship could not be healed during the Amazing Race, as they had focused too much on trying to win.

Outlook for Episode Eleven, the Finale

The three teams have strengths offset by weaknesses, but all three are likable. At almost 69, Don is fighting fatigue, maybe just more obviously than the other finalists. Donald has been seen always with the right wisdom for the situation, and runs just well enough, when Nicolas carries his pack. Both have become dehydrated. Ron corrected a lot of his meanness, and did not complain much of his hernia, helping his team to earn first place twice in a row. Because they are communicating smoothly with each other, Ron and Christina are working as one now. TK and Rachel use a steady, calm approach to the Race. Will they have enough urgency to make the final push?

What will Episode 11 reveal about the racers and who will win the million dollar prize? Watch the finale Sunday, January 20 at 8PM Eastern/Pacific.

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