The Amazing Race Review: Kangaroos Race on Broken Hill

On this week’s episode of The Amazing Race the teams continue on in Australia to travel along a Broken Hill, dress up like kangaroos, get lost, and one team gets a second chance while two come close to a breakdown. Wow, I’m exhausted just reciting it, but that’s nothing in comparison to what the teams must feel after reaching their faux pit stop that sent them from one demanding leg of the race to another. But hey, for a second chance at a million bucks, you didn’t think this would be easy, did you?

We begin this week of The Amazing Race with the teams traveling back to Sydney to sign up for a charter flight that will take them to their next destination, a town called Broken Hill. Host Phil Keoghan warns the teams to hurry because only the first six teams to sign up will be on the first flight. All other teams will be on the second flight which arrives half an hour later.

At the beginning of this leg, the cowboys are so far behind the rest of the teams that it’s sort of shocking to see that we have to go back to this again. After several more attempts they finally get the clue spelled out in flags “I am Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.” They finally get their next clue. Phil tells them that although they are the last team, this leg’s not over so they still have a chance to make up. They join the other teams with no penalty.

Amanda and Kris start this leg disappointed, because of a setback last leg they have an automatic U-turn to look forward to on this upcoming leg. They’ll need to be fast and efficient to make it through this one without coming in last. Zev and Justin are looking forward to surprising their competitors on their second year of Race. Justin says that the other teams underestimate them because they think since Zev has Asperger’s, this team doesn’t have a chance to win. Both Justin and Zev are looking forward to proving them wrong. Margie and Luke and Jamie and Cara say how happy they are to be working together. Because of their pleasant relationship from their season of Race, they trust each other and look forward to a great partnership this time around. The effect of the teams being given no rest period has had an immediate effect on team Mel and Mike. Mel is weak, and looks two seconds away from passing out. By the time the two get on the ferry to go back to Sydney, Mel can barely walk and can’t even sit up straight. His son and teammate Mike looks on crying and begging his father to not overstrain himself. At this point, I had tears in my eyes because it really looked bad for him. Mel wants to leave the race but Mike says he’ll be responsible for his own decisions. They’ll continue on.

Because their clue to is so vague (“To sail to stop”), all the teams are in a hectic frenzy of going nowhere. They have no clue what this saying means and as a result they just race round and round in circles with no direction and no progress being made. A couple of the teams hop in cabs, but can offer their driver no instruction as to where to go. As you can imagine, this results in a couple of ticked off taxi drivers. After a while, Zev/Justin and Kisha/Jen hop out of their respective cabs and bump into each other on the streets. They work together and learn their clue is leading them to City Hall where they sign up and are the first two teams on the first plane to Broken Hill. Other teams on the first flight: Jamie/Cara, Margie/Luke, Mel/Mike, and Kent/Vyxsin. On the second flight are Flight Time/Big Easy, Ron/Christina, Gary/Mallory, and Amanda/Kris.

For the challenge this week the teams must choose between two Aboriginal customs. The first one has the teams create a mosaic out of rocks and then dance on it; the second task would require the teams to create markers by putting paint in their mouths and spitting it onto a template to create four distinct shapes. All of the teams decide to do the first task. Kent and Vyxsin sprint through this task and are the first to create the mosaic; unfortunately for them they didn’t read the clue right and they proceed to dance around the mosaic and not on it. They don’t figure it out until three other teams surpass them. Because of their U-turn, Amanda/Kris have to do both tasks, and by the time they finish this one and move on to the next they are battling it out with Ron/Christina for last place. Ron and Christina just barely make it ahead of them and on to the next task which have all the teams dressing up in kangaroo suits.

I’m sure there was some other reason for having the teams dress up like kangaroos other than making them feel foolish. I thought the outfits were kind of cute, but the bouncing moon shoes they had to wear, not so much. Zev and Justin have an easy time with this task and sprint straight to the Pit stop as team number 1, followed shortly by the Globetrotters. After trailing in the back for most of the task, Ron/Christina decide to team up with Gary/Mallory to try to edge out Amanda/Kris to remain in the game. This is a match made in Hell if I’ve ever seen one as impatient Ron shows he doesn’t hold his criticism for anyone and heaps his verbal assault on Mallory who for the most part doesn’t notice it. Ron is treading on thin ice. If I was Christina I don’t think I’d be able to take his negative attitude and it kind of makes me wonder after all she went through last time, why in the world would she agree to put up with this again. Oh right, the million bucks. But Ron’s attitude is really pushing it, and right now I’m just hoping his stay on this journey is a short one. Sorry, Christina. After a while, Ron decides to split from Gary/Mallory; this is a bad decision because as much as he thinks Mallory an “idiot” she manages to get her team to the finish line. All the while Ron/Christina get lost and barely make it to the pit stop before Amanda/Kris do.

Here are the rankings:
1. Zev/Justin: winning a trip to Cancun, Mexico
2. Flight Time/ Big Easy
3. Jet/Cord
4. Kisha/Jen
5. Margie/Luke
6. Mel/Mike
7. Kent/Vysxin
8. Jamie/Cara
9. Gary/Mallory
10. Ron/Christina

Amanda and Kris show up last to the pit stop and are eliminated.

Next week on The Amazing Race, Kent finds his zen and Jamie/Cara run into trouble on the road.

Season 18, Episode 2: “I’ve Never Looked So Foolish In My Entire Life” (original airdate February 27, 2011)

The Amazing Race airs Sundays at 8/7c.

Images courtesy of CBS.