Amazing Race 10 update – Two words: automatic whips

Before we start out, a recap from last week: Team 16 Tons came in last on a non-elimination leg but instead of the traditional penalty of taking all their money, David & Mary need to come in first this week or they will incur a 30-minute penalty. Since they’ve been near the back of the pack on every leg so far, it’s unlikely they’ll come in first; they better hope for some very bad luck by some other Team.

Teams start out in Chennai, India and they must make their way to Kuwait City, Kuwait and find two globe-topped towers based on a visual clue. (Later, we find out they’re called the Kuwait Towers.) Everybody needs to connect through Mumbai so it’s a bunching situation with everybody on the same flight to Kuwait. Once there, they pick up marked cars to drive to the Towers where they pick numbered tags and wait for the observation deck to open at 11am.

Once the clue is revealed, there’s both a Fast Forward and a Roadblock. The Fast Forward is a task only one team can do but they can skip the rest of the leg. Team Ergo hints that they will do the FF to scare other teams off, then they let Team 16 Tons take it. David & Mary must go to an oil field, don fire equipment, and retrieve a clue from a clue box next to a simulated oil-well fire. Meanwhile, everybody else must do the Roadblock which is to climb a ladder on the exterior of the Kuwait Tower and grab a satchel with puzzle pieces. This doesn’t look especially difficult if you’re not afraid of heights; both of the brothers in Team Ergo admit they are.

Here we go again: the Roadblock, which involves a climb up a narrow ladder, is performed by one-legged Sarah instead of Peter who – once again – is shown lounging around yelling, ‘C’mon Sarah.” What is wrong with that guy? While everybody is working on the Roadblock puzzle, Team 16 Tons fights the oil fire and grabs the clue directing them to the Pit Stop at the Al-Sadiq Water Towers. Unbelievably, they arrive as Team #1.

Back outside the Towers, teams finish their puzzles; they must find a garment store on a remote street for the next clue. Everybody seems to get really lost except for Team Rehab. This clue is a Detour: Manual or Automatic. Teams may either fill ten 100-lb. camel feed bags and stack them or go to the camel track and race camels with tiny automatic jockeys. These robots are hilarious: they have a little remote-control whip to drive the camel along. Everybody is having an awful time navigating around Kuwait.

The younger teams – Team Bicker, Team Blonde, and Team Ergo – are all stacking camel feed bags. Team Leg Up and Team Rehab are hopelessly lost. Team Alabama finally finds the camel track. Peter congratulates himself for spotting a TAR arrow, big man, but it’s the Fast Forward! Psych! They’re still lost. Tyler & James find the camel club.

The sun is going down in Kuwait and Team Leg Up arrives at the Detour well after dark. When they open the clue, it merely says: “Go to the Pit Stop” which pretty much sums up their fate. They arrive at Phil’s mat and he informs them that they have been eliminated from the Race. Both Racers say some uncomplimentary things about each other (e.g. “hard headed” and “not nurturing”) before they’re shown walking away, far apart.

Final standings:

#1 – Team 16 Tons – David & Mary – Prize: Travelocity trip
#2 – Team Blonde – Dustin & Kandace
#3 – Team Bicker – Rob & Kimberly
#4 – Team Alabama – Lyn & Karlyn
#5 – Team Ergo – Erwin & Godwin
#6 – Team Rehab – Tyler & James
#7 – Team Leg Up – Peter & Sarah - PHILIMINATED

Next week – The Blondies crash their car.

Extra – This space reserved for reviews from Pat and Kris who cheers “Whooooo!” Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em, Kris.