The Amazing Race Review: The Promise of a Kiss

Two episodes into The Amazing Race and I am totally ready for the backstabbing to begin. I know we’re still in the sweetheart, ‘oh, this is such a great experience’ phase, but this is a race for A MILLION DOLLARS!! In order to believe that these contestants really deserve to win, I’m going to need to see some force. I need some, low down, calculating, backstabbing slick out the side of your mouth double dealings of which I know these contestants are capable. Of course, I’m not saying the contestants are snakes, but watching bunny rabbits cuddle is only cute for the first three minutes. Strike!

This week on The Amazing Race the teams travel to Africa for a lesson in sales and the discover local way to go out in style.

The episode picks up in Eastnor, where the contestants learn they must go to Accra, Ghana. Jill and Thomas, fresh off their first win, are the first to leave. Though Thomas took much of the lead during the last challenge, Jill wants to prove to him that she can be a valuable player in this game. Team Geek (whose names I have forgotten) Brook and Claire and Katie and Rachel all decide to team up to share resources. This turns out to be a smart move, as Brook immediately uses her wiles to charm a farmer into giving directions. Here Brook shares with us her words of wisdom, “If you can kiss a stranger on the cheek you can move mountains,” with promises of more kisses to come. Jill and Thomas arrive at the airport to find that their lead has been demolished by a long wait for the plane. All teams are on the same flight.

The first challenge this week was for the contestants to sell sunglasses in an open market. Selling each pair for no less than 3 cedis, each team must reach the total of 15 cedis ($10) before they receive their next clue. If you’ve been paying attention, you should know who has this task firmly in hand. Brook and Claire, the HSN hosts, blow through this task like it’s nothing. Brook takes it on and relies on the every girl’s guide to getting what you want: smile, hug, and compliment. Michael also does a great job with this task. Having grown up in markets like this, he seems more confident in his dealings and easily reaches his goal. Unfortunately, not everyone has it so easy as most of the competitors find it difficult meeting their sales. Jill takes the longest to make her first sale, and as she gets more and more frustrated Thomas contemplates using their express pass. Nick flounders through this task and almost finds himself out of 3 cedis. Nat spends way too much time trying to talk a customer up in negotiating. Hint: if they’re not willing to negotiate move on.

For the second challenge the contestants choose between two tasks: install an antenna to the specifications of a local homeowner, or deliver a custom coffin to a showroom across town. Most teams choose to do the antennas. I can’t blame them; I wouldn’t want to go around carrying coffins either, whether they’re shaped like a lion or camera (which incidentally these are – they’re custom made to reflect the eventual occupant’s taste.) It’s kind of cool what can be done (these don’t even look like coffins. Trucks and lobsters, maybe) but it’s also really creepy as well. The contestants get through this round with annoying ease.

Brook and Claire finish strong from their early success. They are in first place at this week’s pit stop. There was a battle for last as three teams struggled to navigate through the city but eventually it was Andie and Jenna who were last to arrive and they were eliminated.
Here are this week’s rankings:

1. Brook/Claire, winning a 10 day trip to Hawaii
2. Katie/Rachel
3. Michae/Kevin
4. Chad/Stephanie
5. Jill/Thomas
6. Jonathon/Connor
7. Nat/Kat
8. Nick/Vicki
9. Gary/ Mallory
10. Andi/Jenna- eliminated

Next week, Nick blows up with a Chad-worthy meltdown. Michael suffers in the heat and breaks down.

Season 17, Episode 2: A Kiss Saves The Day (originally aired October 3, 2010)

Sundays at 8pm ET/PT on CBS

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Photographs courtesy of CBS.