Amazing Race update – Magical Mystery Tour

In previous seasons of TAR, the path of the Race has generally followed an eastward direction around the world with some minor westward jaunts. However, last week the teams headed from India to Turkey and tonight from Turkey to London, England. If they’re still planning on going “around” the world, the final leg of the Race is going to be loooong.

Anyway, teams started out from Istanbul, Turkey and needed first to go to a local train station and find some whirling dervishes and the next clue. This clue instructed teams to head to London and find the crosswalk made famous by a Beatles album cover. Ron & Kelly, who were stripped of their cash after coming in last in the previous leg, had to beg some locals for money but eventually made it to the airport (where an unadorned ex-pageant queen Kelly begged a ticket clerk for some lipstick). There they managed to make an earlier flight, along with Rob & Amber, through Frankfurt and arriving in London around 8am. The other teams took a direct flight arriving around 9:30am.

Once in London, Team America and Team Survivor scrambled to find the Underground train to Paddington Station and Abbey Road. For about the fifth time in TAR7, Rob & Amber capitalized on their celebrity and found some guy (with the Anglican name of Stuart, of course) to direct them around London. Although any team can enlist assistance from locals, Team Survivor has an uncanny ability to find people to not only help them, but to guide them all around the city. After Abbey Road, all teams (Team Codger and Team Africa arrived later) make their way to the London Eye.

Once at the London Eye – a huge Ferris wheel on the banks of the Thames River – teams needed to go up and scan the skyline for a TAR flag. Rob & Amber find it first, exit the wheel, find the building where the next clue is located (with Stuart’s help) and head off to the Detour.

Detour: Brains or Brawn. Teams may either solve a series of riddles while traveling through the London Underground, or lift five boats from a river and stack them. Both Team Survivor and Team America take “brains” and solve a series of clues that eventually lead to Baker Street and the Sherlock Holmes museum. Once again, this task is made much easier with a tagalong guide who knows exactly what train to take to every destination. Rob & Amber arrive at 221B Baker Street first and head to the Millennium Dome. “Yield Ahead” - Team America is only minutes behind.

Meanwhile, Team Africa and Team Codger decide to stack boats. This seemed to be an unwise choice for Meredith & Gretchen and Uchenna briefly helps the elderly couple before he’s reminded that teams can’t help each other during challenges. Uchenna & Joyce finish first and head to the Millennium Dome.

After Stuart returns to his life, Rob & Amber arrive at the Millennium Dome first and there’s the final Yield of the Race. Team Survivor decides to yield Team America and they place Ron & Kelly’s picture on the Yield sign. This notifies Team America that they must wait one hour (an hourglass runs out) until they can get the next clue. This next clue is the Roadblock and one team member must drive a double-decker bus through a course in the parking lot without hitting any cones. Rob decides to drive the bus. Ron & Kelly arrive soon afterward and they’re not at all pleased to see that they’ve been yielded; Kelly takes out a ballpoint pen and draws devil’s horns on Rob’s head. Nice!

In the end, it doesn’t seem to matter much since Ron & Kelly move on to the Roadblock before the last two teams even arrive at the Dome. During the hour-long interval, however, Rob completes the course and receives the next clue informing Team Survivor to head to the Pit Stop at Potter’s Field Park, next to the Tower of London. They arrive as Team #1, win yet another prize, and Phil asks about their luck. “Oh we’ve been lucky!” says Rob. Yeah, Rob, lucky.

Back at the Roadblock, Kelly, Meredith and Joyce are all trying to maneuver the huge buses through a series of cones. Kelly finishes first and Team America makes it to the Pit Stop as Team #2. Next, Joyce parks the bus and Team Africa races through a darkening London to arrive as Team #3. Finally, the long-lasting, hard-fighting Team Codger arrived in last place and they are eliminated.

Final standings:

#1 – Team Survivor – Rob & Amber
#2 – Team America – Ron & Kelly – YIELDED
#3 – Team Africa – Uchenna & Joyce
#4 – Team Codger – Meredith & Gretchen – ELIMINATED

Next week: The final three teams race for the $1 million grand prize and the title as winners of The Amazing Race 7 in the two-hour finale.

Extra: Kris! If you’re in the Western Massachusetts vicinity, come on over next week for an Amazing Race party. The seasonal Sam Adams Summer Ale just came out.

Bonus: Here’s Brainster’s update too.