Amazing Race 10 update – Facing the music in Kiev

The five remaining teams continued on the extended leg of the Race (see last week’s recap) in Helsinki, Finland. After completing their rappel task, teams must head to Kiev, Ukraine. Team Rehab is annoyed because all the racing so far on this leg is essentially negated by a bunching situation while everybody waits for a plane to Kiev. Once there, teams must find a location on their clue written in Cyrillic and drive a Russian car to the next destination.

The next stop is a Roadblock: one team member must navigate a Soviet tank through an obstacle course. Team Blonde and Rehab arrive first and plow through the Ukrainian mud while everybody else is still looking for the tanks. James and Dustin complete the course and they’re directed to an apartment in Kiev for the next clue. After the Cho brothers finish the tank task they wait for Team Alabama to finish. I’m now officially annoyed with Team Ergo: it’s a race! It’s an Amazing Race! Karma catches up Team Bicker and their Russian car expires on the way to Kiev.

After the apartment stop, it’s the Detour: Make the Music or Find the Music. Teams may go to a hip-hop club and perform a rap song incorporating the names of the countries they’ve visited so far. Or they may travel to a music conservatory and search thousands of sheets of music for one particular piece and then find a pianist who needs the music. Both tasks apparently require a costume change: Team Blonde dress as rappers while Team Rehab dons tuxedoes (with tails) to find the music.

Meanwhile, Team Alabama gets fed up with following the Cho brothers who have stopped for directions at least four times to find the city of Kiev. Usually large urban centers have major highways leading to them, but Team Ergo seems lost. Lyn & Karlyn peel away and Team Ergo laments that their “alliance” is finished. Good.

Back at the Detour, Team Rehab finishes the classical music Detour first and must head to the Pit Stop at the Great Patriotic War Memorial in Kiev. Dustin & Kandace do an awesome job on their rap and head out to the Pit Stop next. Team Bicker isn’t quite so good but they get the next clue anyway. Team Alabama and Team Ergo are bringing up the rear.

On the way to the Pit Stop, the Cho brothers head down a closed street and the police are not amused. In that classic tone of Soviet authority, the police order: “Show all documents.” I don’t know how long they were detained but, quite suddenly, it’s dark out and Team Ergo is shuffling up to Phil on the mat where they are eliminated.

Final standings:

#1 – Team Rehab – Tyler & James – Prize: Trip to Mexico
#2 – Team Blonde – Dustin & Kandace
#3 – Team Bicker – Rob & Kimberly
#4 – Team Alabama – Lyn & Karlyn
#5 – Team Ergo – Erwin & Godwin – PHILIMINATED

Next week: Chariots of fire.

Extra – This space reserved for reviews from Pat and Kris.