Amazing Race Tidbits -- Thoughts and Outlook

Amazing Race Tidbits

CBS' The Amazing Race 12th Edition

Thoughts on Episode 5 and Outlook for Episode 6

Thoughts on Episode Five: Shana and Jennifer Self-Destruct

Airports

Teams had to find a ticketing agency to purchase the tickets. Only one way out of Ouagadougou--Air France to Paris. But from there, three different flights connect to Vilnius, Lithuania.

Through Amsterdam, landing at 1:25 PM, even with tight connection: Jen and Nathan, the arguing Shana and Jennifer, and Azaria and Hendekea.

Through Frankfurt, landing at 1:35 PM: Nicolas and Donald, Rachel and TK, and Kynt and Vyxsin.

Through Prague, landing at 2:10 PM: Ron and Christina.

But, those on the second flight found themselves catching up to the threesome on the first flight.

Find St. Ann's Church

Shana and Jennifer get seriously lost. On the first flight, they arrive at the cluebox last, narrowly missing a city bus when they are tryintg to turn around on their roundabout unplanned route.

Roadblock: Who's a good listener?

In the old quarter of Vilnius, one team member had to locate a woman sitting outdoors for a package to deliver, deliver it to the place and the person designated, who would give the team member another package to deliver to a second place and person in order to receive the next clue.

Episode Five Roadblock
Team	Team Member	Result
Kynt and Vyxsin	Kynt	Easily fit in to make both deliveries, earning first place.
Jennifer and Nathan	Jen	Good enough for fourth out.
Ronald and Christina	Ronald	Good enough as Ron actually listened carefully and made steady progress. to be third out.
Shana and Jennifer	Shana	Barely ahead of Nicolas, though last arriving
Azaria and Hendekea	Hendekea	OK, Fifth out
Nicolas and Donald	Nicolas	Asked and asked about hair salon and walked in a complete circle while all other teams finished ahead of him. Could he have done better by just looking? Just behind Shana in last place.
Rachel and TK	TK	A natural as he made short work of delivering both packages to finish second.

Open Air Lithuanian Life Museum

Teams had to find town and ethnocentric museum, where a traditional Mid-Summer Festival was being staged. On the way to the museum, Nicolas and Donald gained lead over Shana and Jennifer. Teams had to find Dzukija Village, representing the southern region of Lithuania, at the ethnographic museum in Rumsiskes. There, each team had to find a Travelocity Roaming Gnome hidden amongst a hundred gnomes, and keep it with them to bring to the Pit Stop.

Detour

Count Down. Each team had to count pickets in a marked long line of fence along the main street in the village, not counting gates or fenceposts. They needed the correct number to receive their next clue. It required little in the way of muscle or balance, and could take a long time.

Step Up. Each team member had to walk a marked section of the village's main street on a pair of stilts. If they fell off, that team member had to go back to the marked starting line and try again. Those with strength and very good balance could make quick work of this task.

Episode Five Detour
Members	Detour	Result
Kynt and Vyxsin	Count Down	They struggled a bit, but were second out of the Detour with the correct total of 717.
Jennifer and Nathan	Step Up	Bickered so badly over counting that they gave up and tried the stilts, only to be about the best of all on the ackward stilts. Their arguing allowed Azaria and Hendekea to pass them.
Ronald and Christina	Step Up	Christina did well enough on the stilts, but Ron was in pain when he fell off the stilts just before reaching the finish line, and had to start over again.
Shana and Jennifer	Count Down	Argued about everything, and had to start over, giving the advantage to Nicolas and Donald.
Azaria and Hendekea	Count Down	Passed Jen and Nathan as they systematically counted correctly
Nicolas and Donald	Count Down	Efficient as they correctly come up with the correct total number of pickets, with only one restart
Rachel and TK	Step Up	Rachel said she was into stilts, and eventually got the hang of them, finishing well ahead of TK. They were the first to complete the Detour.

Pit Stop

The historic windmill representing the Aukstaitija region at the open-air ethnographic museum in Rumsiskes was the Pit Stop for this leg. Teams were directed to find it on the grounds just outside the village where the Detour tasks were performed.

Episode Five Order of Finish
Members	Team
Kynt and Vyxsin	2
Jennifer and Nathan	5
Ronald and Christina	3
Shana and Jennifer	7
Azaria and Hendekea	4
Nicolas and Donald	6
TK and Rachel	1

All teams arrived at the mat in the order they completed the Detour.

Outlook for Episode Six

The next episode features rowing, and just what kind of a bickering row do Jen and Nathan have? The hippies, TK and Rachel, Ron and Christina, and Kynt and Vyxsin are strong teams going in. Azaria and Hendekea had a bit of a let down after a another first place finish in Episode 4. Ronald and Christina seemed to be working better together. But, can he survive the continued problem of a hernia? The grandfather, Donald, has struggled with his physical limits, but the two prior episodes gave him a new lease on life. Will the hole Nicolas dug in the Roadblock cause them to be eliminated next? Will TK and Rachel be able to keep their new momentum?

What will Episode 6 reveal about the racers as they row and climb in Croatia, and who will be eliminated next? Watch Sunday, December 9 at 8PM Eastern/Pacific, or after 60 Minutes, if delayed by NFL football.