The Amazing Race 30 Episode 11-12: FINALE

Another 2-hr episode for this season's finale.

Photo: tvline

In leg 11, the final 4 teams raced from Thailand to Hong Kong International Airport. It was a neck-to-neck race between the teams. Since last week was a non-elimination leg, Team Yale needed to their Speed Bump first before continuing the race with the other teams, while the other 3 teams were hoping that Team Yale would give them the time cushion they needed to proceed to the finale.

But no such luck there. Team Yale was very motivated to finish the Speed Bump quickly and the fact that Henry could speak Mandarin gave them an edge from the rest of the team.

Team Yale went to Victoria Peak – Lions Pavilion for their Speed Bump Challenge. Upon arriving there, the other 3 teams had their picture taken overlooking the Hong Kong skyline where they would find their next clue printed on the photograph.

In this challenge, Henry & Evan had to place candles into 40 hung paper lanterns before they could continue racing. It was a breezy task for Team Yale. They finished it quickly which allowed them to catch up with the rest of the teams in the Detour Task.

Detour: Hairy Crab or Grub Grab

In Hairy Crab, teams had to properly wrap and pack 50 live hairy crabs in a basket, while subjected to simulated typhoon conditions, to receive their next clue.

Team BigBrother in their Detour Task
Photo: HollywoodLife

Team Big Brother & Team Extreme were the ones who did this challenge. They had a difficult time finishing this task which was why the other teams were able to zoomed past them

In Grub Grab, one team member had to take 8 restaurant orders in Cantonese, then relay it to their partner in the kitchen, who had to figure out the corresponding dishes, which were labeled phonetically. Once all the patrons were served correctly, they received their next clue.

This may sound difficult since the orders they needed to hear weren't English words. But if they're attentive enough, this task can be done quickly. Team IndyCar and Team Yale did this task which helped them move ahead of the other teams in the other detour.

After finishing the Detour Task, teams proceeded to Central Pier #4 for the Roadblock Challenge. 

In this Roadblock, one team member had to suit up in protective equipment and smash a pile of old electronics with a baseball bat to find two containing half of a clue. Once the clue was complete, they then splattered a gallon of paint over the pile to create a work of "rage art". Meanwhile, the non-participating team member was handcuffed to a briefcase.

Henry of Team Yale and Conor of Team IndyCar did a pretty good job in doing this task. Cody of Team BigBrother as usual did as fast as he could. Kristi of Team Extreme was the only who had a hard time with the Roadblock Challenge. She kept beating the old TV until it worn her out. Good thing she was able to do it after re-reading the clue and proceeded to Lan Kwai Fong for their next task.

After completing the Roadblock, teams had to search the streets of Lan Kwai Fong for three signs depicting things seen in previous legs of the Race, and left them to recall the numbers of the legs where those things were seen (the Washington Square Arch from Leg 1, a fez hat from Leg 3, and a bull from Leg 5). These corresponded to the combination to open the briefcase still handcuffed to the wrist of the team member who did not perform the Roadblock. The correct order of numbers was different for each briefcase. Inside the briefcase was the key to the handcuffs and the location of the Pit Stop.

Team IndyCar
Photo: EW

This was very confusing for the teams because the place is considered to be the center of nightlife in Hong Kong. The symbols that they needed to search in the area were also very random and hard to find. Team Yale were able to find all of it faster than the others while Team BigBrother and Team Extreme were neck to neck. Team IndyCar was having a hard time though.

In the end, the pitstop for this leg was at the Intersection of Johnston Road and Wan Chai Road.

FINISHERS:

1. Henry & Evan (Team Yale)

2. Cody & Jessica (Team BigBrother)

3. Kristi & Jen (Team Extreme)

4. Alex & Conor (Team IndyCar) - ELIMINATED

Too bad Team IndyCar didn't make it to the Final 3. They weren't able to finish their last task. It took them a really long time to find the symbols in the busy street of Hong Kong. It was disappointing because I kind of like them already.

Moving on to Leg 12 - the final leg - Team Yale learned that the race wasn't over. In fact, the race to $1,000,000 was next. So from Hong Kong International Airport, all teams went straight to San Francisco International Airport for the final leg of this season.

Once there, all teams went straight to AT&T Park – "Say Hey Kid" Statue to find their next clue, leaving them to figure out that this was a reference to the statue of former San Francisco Giants player Willie Mays outside AT&T Park.

At AT&T Park, teams had to paddle kayaks around McCovey Cove and find three numbered baseballs corresponding to the digits in the number of career home runs hit by Willie Mays, leaving them to figure out the correct number (which is 660), while Giants mascot Lou Seal threw more balls into the water from the ballpark. Once they had the correct numbers, they would receive their next clue from an umpire.

Team Extreme did the smart thing by asking people about it while Team BigBrother & Team Yale rushed towards the kayak and tried to figure it out from there. Unfortunately, both teams needed to go back to ask the people's help since they couldn't figure out the answer.

After that task, all teams went to their Roadblock Challenge at San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge.

In this Roadblock Challenge, one team member had to use jumars to pull themselves up 200 feet (61 m) to the top of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge center anchorage. They then had to enter the structure and put on a harness and covered with bright lights before free falling from a plank to receive their next clue.

Evan of Team Yale had a hardest time of doing this task considering that she was up against 2 stronger teams. The challenge was definitely built for Cody of Team BigBrother as he zoomed past the 2 women. Kristi of Team Extreme was closely behind him.

The clue received from the first Roadblock was a rebus that left teams to figure out they had to travel to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company. There, they had to properly make 102 fortune cookies, 51 per team member. Once approved, they received a giant fortune cookie to break open for their next clue.

Team Extreme did fairly well here. Team BigBrother struggled as well as Team Yale.

After that all teams were instructed to go to Alameda (USS Hornet) but before they could do that, they needed to do the final task for this season. Phil warned the teams that they will be facing “the season’s most difficult test of both physical endurance and mental strength.” 

For the final task, teams had to choose a fuselage of a large model airplane on the flight deck, then search the entire aircraft carrier for twelve parts of matching color (two propellers, four wings, four horizontal stabilizers, and two vertical stabilizers) with which to complete the model. Each part had different pictures depicting something encountered on a leg of the race. After finding all twelve parts, the team member who did not perform the Roadblock had to assemble the airplane with the correct combination of six parts (one propeller, two wings, two horizontal stabilizers, and one vertical stabilizer) that would fit correctly on the fuselage and represent all 12 legs without duplication. Once approved, the team member had to push the airplane to their partner, and the team could proceed to the Finish Line at the opposite end of the flight deck.

The trick though was that there were only 6 necessary pieces, and 12 parts they have to find. All of the pieces have at least 2 different symbols on them, representing each of the 12 legs from this season. When the plane is fully assembled, the six correct pieces will display all 12 symbols with no duplicates.

This was a very challenging task. Jessica of Team BigBrother, Jen of Team Extreme and Henry of Team Yale did this final task for their teams. Tensions were rising as each teams tried their best to finish first. Henry of Team Yale were able to complete it first but didn't ask for a check instead he switched it with another symbol. That was pretty hard to take considering that it could have been their chance to move forward. It was neck-to-neck for all teams but in the end only 1 team won the million dollars.

FINAL RANKING:

1. Cody & Jessica (Team BigBrother) - $1,000,000

2. Henry & Evan (Team Yale)

3. Kristi & Jen (Team Extreme)

Team BigBrother winner of The Amazing Race 30
Photo: BuddyTV

AFTERTHOUGHT:

I wasn't expecting for Team IndyCar to be eliminated in Leg 11 considering that they were doing a great job from the beginning of the leg. They didn't pay attention enough to the last task which ultimately led to their elimination. It was disappointing because I like them. To be honest, I didn't at first but then as the race continued week after week, they were pretty much a good team. Team Extreme - I really thought another all-female team will this season. They have what it takes and they were very consistent all throughout. It was tough to see them struggling though. Team Yale - my dark horse - I'm actually rooting for them because I don't think anyone else do or maybe just a few. I don't know why. They may be a bit aloof compared to the other teams but they're tough to beat as well. The odds were against them in Leg 11 but they remained strong all the way to the finish line. If Henry didn't make that mistake, they would have won this season.

As for Team BigBrother, they are probably my least favorite team this season. I like Cody but I'm not really into Jessica. I'm sure she's a great girl but I'm just not feeling her in this race. But of course, they're a very strong team. They made better decisions in the last couple of legs and they did what they have to do to win it. Personally, I think this leg was built for a team like them. A combination of brains and muscles. I know Team Extreme are strong women but Cody's a cyborg. I don't know if Team IndyCar would have made a huge difference if they were part of the final 3, but for sure, it would have been an exciting race to the finish line.

CONGRATS TO TEAM BIGBROTHER FOR WINNING THE AMAZING RACE 30!

Hopefully, this is not the end for this reality show. I do want them to continue. It's one of my favorite reality shows of all time.

The Amazing Race 30 - Episode 9-10

Note: I think I messed up the titles of the episodes. I'll have to check it first then I'll change it as soon as I can.

Again, the show lasted for 2 hrs with 2 legs combined.

In the 9th leg of this season, the 5 remaining teams traveled from Harare International Airport to Bahrain International Airport. All teams were in 1 flight but during their layover in Dubai, Team OceanRescue realized that one of their passports was missing. This got them delayed from racing with the other 4 teams who proceeded to Bahrain. Lucas tried to get a new one from the US Embassy but they lost so much time from doing it.

Meanwhile, the 4 teams arrived in Bahrain and immediately traveled to Dhow Shipyard where a couple of tasks were waiting for them. 

In the first task, each team needed to carry and place a total of 300 lbs of timber onto a weighing scale to receive their next clue. All teams tried their best to finish the task as fast as they could but the thing about this task was that the teams lost so much time in navigating the roads. Every wrong turn that the team made while performing the task took 15 more minutes to correct thus making the whole thing difficult and unpredictable.

Team BigBrother doing the first task
Photo: Inquisitr

Next, the teams went to Hussein Mohammad Showaiter Sweets and looked for the asked for the "King of Halwa" which is actually a type of local jelly dessert in the country. Each team member were given a sample to eat before they proceed to their next task. 

Team BigBrother was the last out of the 4 teams to finish this task but they were the first ones to arrive in the next task.

Then all teams went to Delmon Pottery Industry where each team chose a pouch containing 10 various small items to memorize. They then had to search inside hundreds of clay pots around the shop for the matching items and bring a pot back to the starting point, one at a time, to be verified. Once all the matching items were collected, they received a pot to break open containing their next clue. 

And just like Team BigBrother in the other task, Team IndyCar were one of the last teams to leave this task but they were the first one to arrive in the next task.

In their last task, teams went to Bahrain Endurance Village where they had to choose a camel herder, who would show them how to milk a camel. One team member then had to collect enough milk in a measuring cup, while their partner helped keep the camel calm, to fill a glass to receive their next clue.

Once done, all teams went to Al-Hafirah for the pitstop.

FINAL RANKING:

1. Alex & Conor (Team IndyCar) - won $7,500 each.

2. Kristi & Jen (Team Extreme)

3. Henry & Evan (Team Yale)

4. Cody & Jessica (Team BigBrother)

5. Lucas & Brittany (Team OceanRescue) - ELIMINATED

Team OceanRescue
Photo: CBS

Team OceanRescue did try their best though. They were improving each leg but that passport problem made it difficult for them to catch up. Many racers in the past seasons of the show lost their passports while racing and it eventually led to their elimination so this didn't surprise me anymore. They were able to reach Bahrain but all teams were already done for the day and since it wasn't a non-elimination leg, they finally bid goodbye to the race.

So far this leg was very challenging. It didn't have those usual Roadblocks and Detours. This leg contained task after task which was something new in the race and it made things exciting because their ranking keeps changing as they finished one task after another.

Now in the 10th leg of this season, the 4 remaining teams travel from Bahrain to  Chiang Mai, Thailand. The teams were instructed to travel using a cheap transportation called songthaew and direct their driver to Royal Park Ratchaphruek. This made the teams frustrated a bit because it was very difficult to communicate to their drivers while riding the provided transportation.

Once they arrived in the place, all teams had to find elephants with flower wreaths on them, then deliver those wreaths to ladies strolling around the park with umbrellas for their next clue which happens to be their Detour Task.

SEIZE IT or SIZE IT

In Seize It, teams went to Baan Kaew Rice Field and had to catch 20 bullfrogs in a flooded rice paddy to receive their next clue. 

This was an easy task but with children playing around the area, the frogs seemed nowhere to be found in those murky water. Team Extreme tried this task but decided to switch. Team IndyCar tried to search the frogs for a long while until Team BigBrother decided to join. In the end, Team IndyCar found the spot where most frogs were hiding and they caught 20 of them followed by Team BigBrother.

In Size It, teams had to travel to Patara Elephant Farm, where they would calculate the height and weight measurements of an elephant while in the presence of her calf. If the veterinarian deemed their measurements to be correct, they would ride their elephant along a trail and feed it to get their next clue.

Team Extreme doing their Detour Task
Photo: CBS

Team Extreme did well in this challenge and was able to leave the area before Team Yale arrived. Team Yale, who I was expecting to be good in this challenge, had to try a few times before getting the right measurement.

Once all the teams were done with their Detour Task, they all proceeded to Original Khum Khantoke Restaurant for their Roadblock Challenge: Thai Something New.

In this Roadblock, one team member had to consume three cooked scorpions and a bullfrog. For the duration of the task, the non-participating team member would have to stand with live scorpions crawling on them. Once the team member finished eating, they received their next clue.

Conor of Team IndyCar begged his partner Alex to finished eating the challenge so he could remove all the scorpion crawling on him. Same thing happened to Jessica of Team Big Brother who begged her boyfriend Cody to eat faster which the man did. Jen of Team Extreme did well in finishing the scorpions and bullfrog while Kristi endured the scorpions crawling on her. Evan did her best in the challenge while Henry cheered his girlfriend as scorpions crawled up on his torso.

Alex of Team IndyCar trying to eat the scorpions and bullfrog.
Photo: CBS

When they finished the task, they all rushed to Wat Chedi Luang for the Pitstop.

FINAL RANKING:

1. Alex & Conor (Team IndyCar) - won a trip to Curaçao.

2. Cody & Jessica (Team BigBrother)

3. Kristi & Jen (Team Extreme)

4. Henry & Evan (Team Yale) - NON-ELIMINATION

AFTERTHOUGHT:

Anything related to exotic food challenge is exciting. In this leg, the challenge was even better because in the past seasons, the other team members usually just cheered for their partners. But now, while one member is doing the gross roadblock challenge, their partner is also having a difficult time which I think is fair. It annoys me sometimes when a team member had to nag or rush their partner in eating an exotic food like it's the easiest thing to do. It's never easy that's why I like it that they also had to do endure something while their respective partners had to finish the task.

Anyway, I think Team IndyCar, Team Extreme and Team BigBrother are somewhat friends while Team Yale is more like an outcast of the 4. I'm not sure why but maybe because Team Yale is such a young team that they tend be on their own most of the time. They were asked to who they want to be in the final 3. The 3 teams answered the same thing which means they all didn't want Team Yale to push forward. If there's a U-Turn in the next leg then it's pretty obvious who will be their target.

I'm still not warming up with Team BigBrother but I do like Cody's tenacity. Team Extreme is still the team to beat this season but since they're all very competitive and their time difference aren't really that far from each other, there's a huge possibility that anyone can win this. It only takes 1 mistakes from Team Extreme or any other teams to be eliminated. When this season started, I wasn't really into Team IndyCar since my first impression with Conor wasn't good. But they're actually a pretty good team. I also like how Conor showed his true personality in the entire race. He's crazy but in a fun way. 

I have no problem on who will be the Top 3 to race in the finals.I think these 4 teams deserve to be there. Let's just hope that Team Yale can do things faster in the next leg since they have a Speed Bump to finish and let the other 3 "close friends" teams handle U-Turning each other. I think that will be fun.

By the way, the final 2 episodes will be next week. No idea why they're rushing it but hopefully this will not be the end of the show for good. I still want the reality show to continue for a long while. I just hope that they'll be more creative in giving tasks and choose teams that are worthy to watch.

If you want to watch The Amazing Race 30 here in Asia, it's at AXN Channel every Thursday night.

The Amazing Race 30 Episode 7-8: The First Rule of Amazing Race Club

This was a 2-hour episode with a major twist.

The 6 teams traveled from Prague Václav Havel Airport to Harare, Zimbabwe then they were instructed to travel again by train to Marondera & search for Imire Rhino & Wildlife Conservatory. Once the teams endured the 20 hours of travel time in total & finally rreached the location, they were instructed to set-up a provided safari tent for them to spend the night.

But that's not all.

Apparently, the next morning, Phil woke them up at 4 am & explained to them that for the remainder of this whole leg they would choose a new partner to switch with, in the same order their tents were approved.

Teams learned about the Partner Swapping for this leg

Team BigBrother chose Team Extreme = Team Ex-Brother

Team OceanRescue chose Team IndyCar = Team OceanCar

Team Yale chose Team Firefighters = Team YaleFighters

After that, the newly formed teams had to paddle a makeshift raft around Imire Lake to spot their Detour clue, which was in a canteen hung on a tree. They needed to get it then return to the shore with it.

Rhino Track or Bush Wack

In Rhino Track, the newly-formed teams had to ride horses with a guide along a marked path through the reserve, along the way spotting and collecting 8 pieces of evidence left behind by poachers in designated locations. Once they collected all eight pieces of evidences, they returned to the starting point to receive a map of the reserve with photographs of the locations. They had to correctly place all eight items on the map matching their respective locations to receive their next clue.

In Bush Wack, the newly-formed teams had to drive an off-road vehicle along a marked course to pick up supplies, including a full canteen of water, at a designated point. The course then continued through two mud bogs, which they had to wade through to determine the best point at which to cross, then attempt to drive the vehicle through the bogs without getting stuck. Once through, they arrived at a ranger station, where they had to dig up an empty canteen and bury the full one they picked up earlier in its place. Once returning to the starting point, they received their next clue.

Conor & Lucas (Team OceanCar) doing their Detour Task

The thing though, each newly-formed team will do either of the 2 detours.

Brittany (Team OceanRescue) & Alex (Team IndyCar) sailed first & chose Rhino Track. They did well as a team. Kristi (Team Extreme) & Jessica (Team BigBrother) had a hard time doing the same detour task. They failed several times until Evan (Team Yale) & Daniel (Team Firefighters) showed up. 

Kristi & Jessica (let me call them - Team Ex-Brother) wanted to work with Evan & Daniel (Team YaleFighters) given that Evan was pretty good with the task. But Team YaleFighters decided not to help which was a good thing because they needed cushion to secure a spot in the ranking. Evan wasn't being sly like what Jessica did in the past few legs. She just didn't want to help.

It also felt good since I really didn't want any team to help Jessica after the sly moves she did in the past legs. It was a strategic move for them but you gotta admit, it felt good when Team YaleFighters didn't help. It was also funny that it bothered Jessica a lot. 

Anyway, that decision paid off for Team YaleFighters because back at the other end of the detour, their other partners were having a hard time. In Bush Wack, Cody & Jen (Team Ex-Brother) were doing quite well compared to their swapped partners in the other detour. Lucas & Conor (Team OceanCar) got stuck for a while in the mud. Same with Henry & Eric (Team YaleFighters).

Cody & Jen (Team Ex-Brother) checked in first but Phil couldn't let them continue the race because the other half - Kristi & Jessica weren't there yet. They were the last team to checked in. So the 1st half of Team Ex-Brother waited for them for quite a while.

Cody & Jen (Team Ex-Brother)

On the other hand, Brittany & Alex (Team OceanCar) finished 2nd while their other partners Lucas & Conor finished 3rd. It gave Team OceanRescue & Team IndyCar a good head-start to continue the race. They left after checking in with Phil, leaving Cody & Jen waiting for their partners to arrive.

Evan & Daniel (Team YaleFighters) arrived next then was followed by Henry & Eric, putting Team Yale & Team Firefighters in the middle of the pack as they continued to the next leg.

All of the teams headed to Khan Fabrics and Haberdashery where the Double U-Turn was once again located. The front-runners raced neck-to-neck to reach the destination. To keep their lead, both teams decided to use their U-Turns.

Team OceanRescue U-Turned Team BigBrother

Team IndyCar U-Turned Team Yale

I found this funny because Brittany finally got her revenge on Jessica's sly moves even if it was just for U-Turning them. That's still something. But I wonder why Team IndyCar didn't U-Turn Team Extreme. I like this team but if I'm a competitor, they're in my U-Turn list esp. when they're in the bottom of the pack. They're the team to beat. You have to eliminate the strongest to be able to get a chance to win this season unless they never really think of these ladies as their competition. Hmm...

After both front-runners U-Turning the 2 teams they chose, they proceeded to their Detour Task.

Handle With Care or Just Get It There

In Handle With Care, teams traveled to Eastgate Mall, where they made their way to the mail center. From there, they received a total of 7 large packages to carry and deliver to various businesses around the mall. After delivering each, they were given outgoing mail to return to the mail center. Once all the deliveries were complete, they received their next clue.

In Just Get It There, teams had to locate Magaba Tyres to pick up one small tire and one large truck tire, then roll them through the market onto the back of a waiting marked truck parked on Cameron Road to receive their next clue.

This was straight-forward task for everyone except for Team IndyCar. Team BigBrother did Handle With Care first while Team Yale did Just Get It There. 

I also find it funny that the other teams helped the U-Turned teams in figuring out the places they needed to be. It was like giving them a chance to catch up with you & steal your spot in the ranking. I mean, if these teams are truly competitive, they wouldn't have to do it. I bet Team BigBrother & Team Yale wouldn't give them the same information if it was the other way around.

After the Detour Task, all teams went straight to Harare Gardens where another task was waiting for them. All teams chose a vocal coach who taught them the pronunciation of the Shona-language lyrics of the Four Brothers song Pasi Pano Pane Zviedzo. They then had to perform the song on stage accompanied by a band, with the correct pronunciation and rhythm, and dance to the beat, to receive their next clue.

Most of them had a hard time accomplishing the task. Team Yale sounded really bad but they were fast enough to memorized the words so they were able to pushed forward. Same with the others except for Team BigBrother. Cody almost had a meltdown but good thing Jessica was able to control the situation.

Once finished all of them rushed to First Street Pedestrian Mall for the Pitstop.

FINAL RANKING:

1. Lucas & Brittany (Team OceanRescue) - won a trip to Saint Lucia

2. Kristi & Jean (Team Extreme)

3. Alex & Conor (Team IndyCar)

4. Henry & Evan (Team Yale)

5. Cody & Jessica (Team BigBrother)

6. Eric & Daniel (Team Firefighters) - ELIMINATED

Team Firefighters - Eliminated

AFTERTHOUGHTS:

This was a very tiring episode for the racers & nail-biting for the viewers. They were neck-to-neck most of the time so it was very difficult to figure out who will be safe & who will be eliminated.

In the first half, I think the "partner swapping" was a good idea. It made the leg interesting because everything became so unpredictable. Imagine Jen & Cody (Team Ex-Brother) arriving first in the mat but waiting for their own partners Kristi & Jessica to arrive only to be passed by the other teams whose partners arrived before theirs. It was worrisome for the Team Ex-Brother. I hope they'll make this a part of the game in future seasons because this will shake things up a bit.

I also didn't get why Team IndyCar didn't U-Turn the strongest team this season. They chose Team Yale. I mean, I did say that Team Yale is the dark horse of this season but Team Extreme is the team to beat. Maybe they're good friends with them but this is a game. I don't think they'll take it seriously. Team OceanRescue did the right choice of U-Turning Team BigBrother. I'm not a fan of this team but they're also a threat.

Then again, the Double U-Turn didn't matter as much because Team Firefighters had the hardest time doing the last task. It pushed them back from the pack even though the 2 teams ahead of them in the ranking did a Double U-Turn. I was actually expecting them to get eliminated out of the 6 teams just based on their past rankings. Team OceanRescue did well the past 3 legs now because they were moving up from the pack. But we'll see how the next leg will go for them. Brittany tend to fall from Jessica's trap & Lucas can be stubborn at times. So far I still think Team Extreme is the team to beat followed closely by Team IndyCar. Team Yale is still my dark horse but Team BigBrother is sneaky so I'm expecting for them to do anything to secure a spot in the Final 3.

If you want to watch The Amazing Race 30 here in Asia, it's at AXN Channel every Thursday night.

The Amazing Race 30 - Episode 6: All's Fair In Love & War

The 7 teams remaining traveled from Marseille Provence Airport to Prague Václav Havel Airport in Czech Republic. All teams used the Travelocity App to book their tickets to 1 of the 2 flights available.

The first to leave were: Team Yale, Team Extreme, Team OceanRescue & Team Firefighters.

The second flight which arrived an hour after the first flight consisted of: Team IndyCar, Team BigBrother & Team Well-Strung.

Once they arrived in Prague, they proceeded to Rudolfinum for the Double U-Turn. None of the teams in the first flight use this & they all went directly to their chosen Detour Task. However, the teams in the second flight - at least one of them - decided to use it since they were way behind the teams in the first flight.

Double U-Turn: Team BigBrother used this to Team Well-Strung.

Once all the teams received their Detour Clue, they realized that it was a blind Detour since there were no other information written on it except for the words - THIS or THAT.

In THIS, teams traveled to the Staropramen Brewery, where they had to properly re-stack a pallet of empty beer kegs, searching for the one keg that was full. They then had to tap the keg & properly pour a mug to the satisfaction of the brewmaster. Once approved, they finally had to navigate the streets of Prague transporting the keg on a hand truck to a boat on the riverbank called Fidelio, to receive their next clue from the captain.

Team Extreme doing the THIS Detour Task

In THAT, teams traveled to the astronomy hall at Charles University, where they had to listen to two lecturers, one debating that the Earth is round, & the other that it is flat. Without taking any notes, they had to pass an oral exam by answering eight questions correctly to receive their next clue.

Team Firefighters during the THAT Detour Challenge

One Detour Task required physical strength while the other was a memory challenge. Personally, I would choose THAT over THIS. Unfortunately for Team Well-Strung, they had to do both Detour Tasks since they were Double U-Turn by Team BigBrother.

Team Extreme & Team YALE chose THIS while Team OceanRescue & Team Firefighters chose THAT. Team OceanRescue made a quick decision to switch task after they realized that they couldn't handle the lectures and memorization. While Team Firefighters tried several times before they were able to answer all 8 questions correctly. All the teams who chose the THIS Detour Task had a hard time finding the Fidelio. Most of them got lost in the streets of Prague particularly Team OceanRescue & Team Yale.

On the other hand, Team IndyCar & Team BigBrother chose THIS while Team Well-Strung decided to go through the THAT challenge first which they finished after their second attempt. Then they hurried to the other detour task to catch up with the rest of the teams.

Once the teams were done with their chosen Detour Task, they all traveled to Andělská Lázeň Beer Spa to receive their next clue from the 3 men enjoying a beer bath. The clue stated that the teams should go to Stará Čistírna Odpadních Vod for their Roadblock Challenge.

If you're a fan of this reality show then that location will remind you of the infamous Roadblock Challenge back in Season 15.

In the Roadblock Challenge, one team member had to enter a room filled with a hundred ringing telephones & search for the eight that have a person on the other end of the line. A voice from each phone would give the team member one word of a Franz Kafka quote, "The meaning of life is that it stops." Team members had to memorize each word & were not allowed to write any of them down. After obtaining all eight words, the team member had to fill out a form with several biographical questions & attempt to unscramble the quote. If they are correct, the inspector would hand them their next clue.

Jen, Daniel, Evan, Jessica, Brittany, Alex & Trevor did the challenge. Jen was the first one to finish it. Jessica, sly as ever, didn't tell Brittany & Alex the right words she figured out until it was approved even though the 3 of them helped each other in this task. Alex & Brittany realized how sly Jessica was for giving them the wrong words & then telling them the right ones after she got hers approved. But karma was quick because the 2 other teams were able to passed them after the Roadblock Challenge.

Jessica, Brittany & Alex at the Roadblock Challenge

Once the team were all done, they all raced to the pitstop at Letenské Park.

FINAL RANKING:

1. Kristi & Jen (Team Extreme) won a trip to Perth, Australia

2. Eric & Daniel (Team Firefighters)

3. Henry & Evan (Team Yale)

4. Alex & Conor (Team IndyCar)

5. Lucas & Brittany (Team OceanRescue)

6. Cody & Jessica (Team BigBrother)

7. Trevor & Chris (Team Well-Strung) - ELIMINATED

THOUGHTS:

It was a very interesting leg. I suddenly missed the past season of the show. I remember this exact roadblock challenge a few years back. The phones ringing inside that room were very annoying. The appearance of the Double U-Turn was expected at some point. It was just sad that Team Well-Strung wasn't able to use their U-Turn because they were the last team to reach the place. It would have been nice if Team IndyCar decided to Double U-Turn either of the 2 last teams so it would be a race to the pitstop for Team BigBrother & Team Well-Strung. A lot of people always hate it when teams use their U-Turn but I don't. I accepted it as part of the race so anybody can be U-Turned. Since Team BigBrother was fighting to survive, of course, it's inevitable for them to use that Double U-Turn to give them cushions. Team Well-Strung did great though because they were able to do the THAT challenge faster but the THIS challenge was too much of a physical task & searching for Fidelio took most of the teams time.

Team Yale would have done well in the THAT task. They might even take the lead from Team Extreme. I guess the Blind Detour did help in some ways. The teams weren't able to decide well in choosing which Detour tasks to take.

Anyway, it was no surprise that Jessica would do something like that. Personally, I think Brittany should avoid trusting her completely because Team BigBrother is obviously determined to do everything to win. In my opinion, if you join this show, you should only rely to your partner & to yourself most of the time. If you want to help someone then do so but never trust other teams so easily. A lot of the the past racers failed because of this. The friendship that developed while racing means nothing when you need to survive another leg. Unless, you never really wanted to win & would willingly help another team to get the million dollars. Yes, that happened a long time ago. I think it was Season 2 or 3. The most heartbreaking race to the finish line. One member of a team decided she didn't want her team to win the money so she helped another team win it by running slow in the finish line. After all, I think she was smitten with one of the guys in the other team. Too bad. They didn't end up together. I think the guy wasn't even really in love with her. She should have used her brain & took the money. Ahh, one-sided love.

Anyway, I feel bad for Team Well-Strung. These guys are likable. I really wanted them to be in the final leg. Then again, I'm still rooting for Team Extreme & Team Yale. Surprisingly, Team Firefighters are doing well. They can also be considered as the dark horse in the race. My least favorite team this season is Team BigBrother. I know its their strategy to get ahead & that's fine. I just really don't like them. Cody is fine. Jessica is a bit...I just can't trust this girl.

If you want to watch The Amazing Race 30 here in Asia, then tune in at AXN every Thursday night.

The Amazing Race 30 - Episode 5: The Claws Are Out

In this episode, the 8 teams were instructed to proceed in Les Baux-de-Provence for their Roadblock Challenge. Team IndyCar was the first team to leave the pitstop & they headed to Château des Baux. Unfortunately, the Château's time of operation was around 8:30 am. The boys couldn't help but feel disappointed for losing their lead. It was an equalizer.

Team IndyCar arriving first at the Château.

At 8:30 am, they read their clue for their Roadblock Challenge. One team member needed to correctly build a trebuchet (a large slingshot during medieval times) from supplied parts following an example. While assembling it, their respective partners were held in a stockade until they received their next clue.

Evan of Team Yale being held in a stockade while waiting for Henry
to assemble to trebuchet.

Lucas of Team OceanRescue took advantage of this challenge since his partner said he was good at building things & it paid off because he was the first person to finish the task. Conor of Team Indy & Tom of Team Chomp were the ones who had the hardest time assembling the trebuchet. It took them several tries to figure out what they did wrong. 

After receiving their clue, all teams went to Café de la Fontaine in Maussane-les-Alpilles to find a patron drinking a red wine for their next clue which was their Detour Task.

In their Detour, they had to choose between Full of Bull or Colorful.

In Full of Bull, teams needed to proceed in Arles Amphitheatre & search the entire area for satchels on artificial bulls scattered everywhere containing each of the colors of the French Flag: Blue, White & Red. They needed to collect 1 of each & exchange them to the Bullfighter for their next clue.

Team Extreme searching for the 3 colors in Full of Bull Detour Task

In Colorful, teams needed to travel to Pont Van Gogh to find a replica of one of Vincent van Gogh's paintings of the original Langlois Bridge at Arles, which was actually an elaborate sliding puzzle, requiring them to slide elements of the painting in a specific sequence in order to unlock the easel & retrieve their clue inside.

Team Chomp trying to figure out how to solve the puzzle
in Colorful Detour Task

Both tasks were fairly easy. One was more of a physical task while the other required puzzle solving skills. Team Chomp was the only one who decided to try the Colorful Detour Task but they weren't able to figure out how to do the task faster. They wasted so much time solving puzzles without realizing how to get their clue inside the easel. The other teams did good in the Full of Bull challenge. They ran around & searched the entire amphitheater for the colors they needed. I figured if Team Chomp decided to do this task as well then it would have helped them zoom past the other teams. Then again, they were the last team to leave the Roadblock Challenge so it didn't really matter which Detour Task to do. They just needed to do it faster than the others to survive this leg.

The pitstop for this leg was at Hotel Benvengudo in Les Baux-de-Provence. Team OceanRescue who widened their lead after Lucas finished the Roadblock ahead of the others was the first team to reach the mat. It was a cue for Lucas to finally propose to his long-time girlfriend. Everybody was happy for the newly-engaged couple.

The Newly-Engaged Couple - Team OceanRescue

FINAL RANKING:

1. Lucas & Brittany (Team OceanRescue) - won a trip to Bali, Indonesia

2. Kristi & Jen (Team Extreme)

3. Eric & Daniel (Team FireFighters)

4. Henry & Evan (Team Yale)

5. Alex & Conor (Team IndyCar)

6. Cody & Jessica (Team BigBrother)

7. Trevor & Chris (Team Well-Strung)

8. Joey & Tim (Team Chomp) - ELIMINATED

THOUGHTS:

The Roadblock Challenge was definitely hard for someone who isn't good with assembling things. So it was pretty understandable why some of them had a hard time with it particularly Conor & Tom. They both weren't paying attention to details that was why they ended up being the last 2 teams in the area. Good thing Team IndyCar was able to catch up with the others during their Detour Task.

I think this episode was fast paced. A team can get eliminated quickly if they made mistakes along the way. Team Chomp could have avoided elimination if they were able to figure out the Colorful Detour Task quickly. It took them several times to realize the mistake they were doing.

I still think Team Extreme is the team to beat this season. They're very consistent in ranking. Team BigBrother & Team IndyCar are both unpredictable since their rankings depend on how well they raced in that specific leg. Team Yale is still my dark horse. By the way, Evan's tooth was finally fixed during their pitstop in Leg 3. She even had a haircut.

Team OceanRescue did well in this episode. It was all due to Lucas finishing the Roadblock Challenge first. Their race for this leg was almost perfect. No mistakes or arguments along the way. I did notice that Lucas even asked for his earphone or something while driving to the pitstop. I was pretty sure he was proposing that time & he did. Brittany was over the moon. They celebrated their first pitstop win with a proposal.

CONGRATS to TEAM OCEANRESCUE!

If you want to watch The Amazing Race 30 here in Asia, catch it at AXN every Thursday night.

The Amazing Race 30 - Episode 4: Gotta Put Your Sole Into It

I don't know about you but I'm very addicted to this reality show since its first season. I've been watching it for years & I never get tired of it. I love the idea of racing around the world with someone you care about & doing simple to challenging tasks just to make it through each leg. It doesn't hurt that there's a $1,000,000 prize at the final pitstop. So it's a win-win for the competitors. You get to travel & see the world while trying your luck in winning trips, material things & the money.

So anyway, I'm not going to update from the very beginning since I've already missed out 3 episodes in total & additional 2 episodes after this. They've been doing 2-hour episodes lately so I can't keep up with the updates. I'll just start with the one I've just watched since it's still fresh from my memory.

The remaining teams now are:

1. Henry & Evan (Team Yale) who won a trip to Switzerland in Episode 3.

2. Alex & Conor (Team IndyCar)

3. Kristi & Jen (Team Extreme)

4. Trevor & Chris (Team Well-Strung)

5. Cody & Jessica (Team BigBrother)

6. Joey & Tim (Team Chomp)

7. Eric & Daniel (Team Firefighters)

8. Lucas & Brittany (Team OceanRescue)

9. Cedric & Shawn (Team Slam Dunk) - saved by a non-elimination leg

These 9 remaining teams traveled from Tangier, Morocco to Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France for leg 4. All teams directly went to Sailing School Water Company De Saint-Tropez for their Roadblock Challenge. Team Slam Dunk, on the other hand, needed to do the Speed Bump Challenge first before doing their Roadblock Challenge as a penalty for arriving last in Episode 3.

For their Speed Bump, Team Slam Dunk stacked a set of 15 Optimist dinghies in numeral order. This was a fairly easy task & they didn't have any problem carrying the dinghies since both of them are physically strong. They were done just in time to catch up with the rest of the pack.

For the Roadblock Challenge, one member of each team needed to operate a much smaller wind-powered optimist dinghy & learn how to sail without proper instruction. They navigated their boats to a set of 2 buoys, far from the shore & from each other to retrieve their next clues. Both were needed before returning to their partner to read it together.

Joey of Team Chomp trying to learn how to sail

I would say this was probably one of the hardest tasks I've seen in the show. It was challenging enough to stay afloat but it got even harder because no help was offered in learning how to sail. Each team member figured it out by themselves. It took some of them a long time to learn it. Evan of Team Yale had a chipped tooth after completing the task. It was accidentally hit as she was learning how to move the sail around. Cedric of Team Slam Dunk capsized several times since the boat was too small for him. Even the younger men who performed the task like Alex of Team IndyCar had a hard time figuring it out at first.

Kristi of Team Extreme was the first to do the Roadbloack & was also the first one to complete it. Quite a feat for this team. She outperformed the men who did the challenge. 

After finishing the task, they all proceeded to their Detour Task - Bread or Tread.

In Bread, teams made their way to La Tarte Tropézienne to meet the baker that will teach them how to make a baguette. After that, the teams needed to make 50 baguettes from a 30 lbs of dough. They needed to cut it & shape it according to the baker's standards to receive their next clue.

Team BigBrother making baguettes in Tread Detour Task

In Tread, teams made their way to Sandales Tropéziennes to make sandals. Each of them needed to make a pair of Tropézienne Sandals to receive their next clue.

Team Chomp learning how to make sandals for their Tread Detour Task

Both tasks needed patience & attention to detail. Most teams did well in their chosen task.

Their next stop was a Head-To-Head Challenge in Place des Lices. Teams needed to play a game called pétanque. Each team member rolled 3 boules alternately to try get it close to a smaller ball in the field called Jack. The closest one to the Jack will win & could check-in at the Pit Stop immediately while the last team will be eliminated.

I'm not really sure if I'm liking how they placed the Head-To-Head Challenge almost at the end of the leg. It's too near the PitStop. The last team needed a lot of luck to beat out the other team ahead of them in one try just so they can run ahead to the mat. It's making it predictable. It would be best if they place the Head-to-Head Challenge between the Detour & Roadblock Challenge. I think it might drastically change the rankings even more. Or maybe put somewhere they would never expect, a route marker at a gasoline station or even in an open field just before they head out to do their other challenges. It will be less predictable & it will give the last team a slight chance to not be eliminated for sure.

Team BigBrother vs Team Extreme in Head-To-Head Challenge

Head-To-Head Face Off:

Team Extreme vs Team IndyCar

Team Extreme vs Team BigBrother

Team Extreme vs Team Well-Strung

Team Well-Strung vs Team Chomp

Team Well-Strung vs Team OceanRescue

Team OceanRescue vs Team Yale

Team OceanRescue vs Team Firefighters

Team OceanRescue vs Team Slam Dunk

In this alone, you can tell who had the hardest time in Head-To-Head Challenge & who were the teams bound for elimination. Team Slam Dunk was an obvious choice since they were the last one to arrive in the venue which meant that they needed to beat Team OceanRescue in their first try to survive.

FINAL RANKING:

1. Alex & Conor (Team IndyCar) - won $5,000 each

2. Cody & Jessica (Team BigBrother)

3. Kristi & Jen (Team Extreme)

4. Joey & Tim (Team Chomp)

5. Trevor & Chris (Team Well-Strung)

6. Henry & Evan (Team Yale)

7. Eric & Daniel (Team FireFighters)

8. Lucas & Brittany (Team OceanRescue)

9. Cedric & Shawn (Team Slam Dunk) - ELIMINATED

The Roadblock Challenge was fun to watch because they all looked like chickens with their heads cut off. They had no clue how to handle the sail. It looked easy but difficult. I felt bad for Team Slam Dunk. Their Speed Bump was easy but the Roadblock was difficult considering Cedric's size. It took him a while. Alex of Team IndyCar didn't read the clue well. He took off after getting the 1st clue without realizing that he needed 2 of them. He had to go back & sail again. Evan of Team Yale had an accident resulting to a chipped tooth but she finished the task which was a good thing. It showed how competitive they were as a team.

I like Team Well-Strung, Team Extreme & Team Yale. So far, Team Extreme is the team to beat this season. Team Yale is the dark horse. Team IndyCar & Team BigBrother are good too but it depends on whether they're having a good race. Team Well-Strung are just fun to watch. Chris is definitely good. Trevor was bad at that Head-To-Head game. I still can't tell though who could win. The time difference were pretty close. Anyone can still take the lead.

If you want to watch the Amazing Race 30 in Asia, it's at AXN channel every Thursday night.