The Amazing Race Season 17, Episode 9
There’s a Lot of Nuts and Bullets
By Kim Hollis and David Mumpower
November 22, 2010
Jill has figured out that it was the chain that was missing, and she and Thomas are now headed for the Pitstop of Lalbagh Fort. This has been an incredibly dominant performance for the two of them, with a surprising lack of arguing between the two of them. For their efforts, they receive congratulations from Phil, along with a $15,000 Discover gift card, which seems pretty appropriate given their fabulous work this leg.
The sugarcane task has the three tailing teams neck and neck, so they’re all in a hurry to get to the next task with the hope of being first to U-Turn someone else.
Nick & Vicki have unloaded all their containers of snacks, and are now lowering their containers back to the boat. Nick tells Vicki to be sure to count them, and her mood continues to be outstanding. In fact, it carries over to their arrival at the U-Turn, where she and Nick discuss who to stall. In the end, she decides that they’re already far enough in the lead that this isn’t necessary. Nick grudgingly agrees, but even he is impacted by her positive spirit.
Nat & Kat are delivering food, and note that they had packed some contraptions in their packs, including some straps, which they use to link up their containers to get them in and out of the boat more quickly. While they do this, Team HSN arrives on the scene for the same task.
In a drop from first to last, Chad & Stephanie went the wrong way and are now lost. Nick is assembling the rickshaw, which does seem like it should be right in his wheelhouse. Let’s see if he kills it or if he finds himself frustrated by an obscure detail. In fact, he misses the chain, just like Jill, but figures it out after a little encouragement from Vicki.
Nat & Kat have blown through their task and are now are their way forward. They U-Turn Chad & Stephanie, who will now be stuck fighting it out with Team HSN as they will both have to complete an extra task. Team HSN is pretty pissed at Jill & Thomas for, you know, playing the game. They’re off to complete the Bricks portion of the Detour, while Chad & Stephanie appear to have forgotten the second part of the Balanced Meal challenge, which is to return to the original location with the empty containers.
Nick & Vicki arrive at the Pitstop mat second, and are proving to be far more formidable than we would ever have expected. Vicki notes that being nice pays off, and Nick glumly agrees. The good news is that Chad & Stephanie, his choice for the U-Turn, has been U-Turned anyway.
Over at the rickshaw station, Nat is building her rickshaw, saying that she’s crafty and smart, and that the task is like assembling something from IKEA.
Team HSN is working the Brick challenge, and Chad & Stephanie are lost. They arrive at the U-Turn station, where Chad says, “Yeah, Brook and Claire!” upon seeing that team’s picture. Then…he sees his face plastered up there as well. The two of them realize they’re in some trouble.
Both teams argue through the Bricks challenge, with the frustration of realizing they might be eliminated getting the better of them. Chad yells at Stephanie, and she tells him to “shut the hell up.” I’m sure that’s what she envisioned saying on the day after their engagement, wondering what their wedding will be like.
Brook & Claire get to the rickshaw station and Nat & Kat are still there. The wheels are missing from the doctors’ rickshaw when Chad & Stephanie arrive on the scene. Chad yells over to Nat, “How’s that PhD helping you?”
“For the record, I have an MD. I do not have a PhD,” says Nat in her confessional.
She gets her wheels completed, and tells the other teams “Good luck.”
It’s down to the last two teams, who are actually really close in the rickshaw competition. Stephanie is struggling with the seat, while Brook or Claire (we’re not sure which one is which, honestly) is unable to fit the bell to the contraption. They finish at virtually the same time, if editing isn’t misleading us, so it’s a genuine footrace to the end. And in fact, they see each other on the street, so it will actually come down to whoever can run the fastest.
Nat & Kat arrive on the mat, where Phil quizzes them about the U-Turn. They say they have no regrets, and they shouldn’t, because doing so might just have kept them from being eliminated.
Ultimately, Brook & Claire arrive at the mat first, just beating out Chad & Stephanie, who seem resigned to their fate. Phil informs them that they have been eliminated, and asks if they were surprised by the U-Turn. They say they knew it was a possibility, but Chad at least comments how happy they are to have come away from the race as a stronger couple – and future husband and wife. The moral of the story? Never stop for a cheeseburger and a blizzard. It’s not worth it.
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