The Amazing Race 20, Episode 8: Bee-have Yourself

Previously on I Thought Children Weren’t Allowed On the Race, six teams traveled from Azerbaijan to Tanzania. Rachel R. and Vanessa turned catty. Well, cattier. J.J. & Art challenged Jamie & Nary’s claim that they’re kindergarten teachers. Teams “hunted” and jumped. Rachel B. & Dave fought some more, again, but also won the leg some more, again. Nary & Jamie got to the mat last but weren’t eliminated.

With all the animals in Tanzania, you’d think they would have had the racers do a challenge with animals last week. But I guess there was enough wild behavior among the humans. Dave & Rachel B. leave at 6:03 a.m. to descend into a crater. After that they’ll need to go to a town called Safari Junction and find Hillary Clinton. Hold up. What now? There’s also a double U-Turn up ahead, and Rachel B. & Dave are considering using it on J.J. & Art.

Bopper injured his leg last week, but he’s willing to cut it off to get through the race. Mark thinks the other teams are seeing them as threats now. J.J. & Art have been waiting for the U-Turn for a while now. They made a deal with Dave B. & Rachel back in leg 5 to use it on Rachel R. & Brendon (Radon). Speaking of them, they don’t care if other people hate them. They’ll just feed off of it and race well. Or as well as they’ve raced so far, I guess. Speaking of haters, Vanessa & Ralph leave next.

The teams drive to the crater and take in the scenery. Dave sees monkeys and calls out, “Coo coo cachoo!” Rachel B. tells him that’s not their mating call. Mark & Bopper are seeing things they’d never see in Kentucky. Bopper says his daughter would love this. Art would love to use the million-dollar prize to come back here. Rachel R. likes this more than going to a zoo. This is what she thinks of when she thinks about Africa. Brendon appreciates taking a few minutes to stop worrying about racing and just enjoy the animals. Vanessa’s happy that she got to do one of the things she’s always wanted to do: go on safari and see an elephant.

Back in civilization, the teams run around town looking for Hillary Clinton. It’s actually a stall (which originally said “Hillary Clington,” but now has the G painted over), and it holds a Detour. The choices are Water Supply and Air Supply. In Water, teams gather empty water containers, fill them, and take them to a home. In Air (no singing, please), teams fix a punctured tire at a bike shop. This involves removing the inner tube, finding the leak, and repairing it. That’s what Rachel B. & Dave and Mark & Bopper choose. Art & J.J. make Hillary Clinton jokes, then pick Water.

As the two Air teams get started, Rachel B. tries to make a deal that they won’t U-Turn each other. I don’t think anyone’s listening to her. Mark tells us that he actually made a bike when he was young. He and Bopper seem to know exactly what they’re doing. Dave compliments his and Rachel’s teacher, who winks at the camera.

Art & J.J. reach Water. Art sees that it takes at least 30 seconds to fill a bucket with water from a hose, and the line to get to the hose is 30 to 40 minutes long. So maybe that’s not the best option. Radon get some directions, then spot the Detour stall on their own. They opt for Air. Vanessa & Ralph are close behind them but don’t see the stall.

Mark & Bopper pretend they’re at a NASCAR pit stop. They’re moving about that fast. Dave & Rachel B., however, are getting to the bickery part of the task. J.J. & Art are still in line, and will be for a while. Bopper & Mark hand their bike off for a test ride; Bopper yells for the rider not to ride over any glass. Heh. They’re done, and they’re off to the Jack Stelzer Pub, where the double U-Turn is waiting. They ask for directions but only get nods in return. Finally someone points them in the right direction.

Radon join Rachel B. & Dave at Air just as the latter team is finishing. Rachel R. worries that she and Brendon will be the target of the U-Turn. Meanwhile, two hours after Vanessa & Ralph, Jamie & Nary leave the pit stop. They’re willing to fight to stay in the race.

Mark & Bopper get to the double U-Turn, where Phil reminds us that two teams can send two other teams back to the Detour task they didn’t do. The guys decide not to use us. Instead they’ll be going to the Gem Gallery & Arts. As they leave, Rachel B. & Dave arrive and also decide to skip the U-Turn.

Jamie & Nary take their drive past the animals as Ralph & Vanessa try to figure out what to do. They’ve reached Air without finding the Detour clue. Rachel R. is pleased that the other team is wandering around, confused. Ralph tells Vanessa to make a decision. They decide to head back the way they came. Finally a kid shows them the stall and they then go right back where they were to do Air. By the way, Jamie & Nary are now in town.

Art & J.J. have finally made it to the hose to fill their containers. I’m sure those will be fun to transport. Rachel B. & Dave discuss the animals they saw before; he questions her pronunciation of “baboons.” They get their next clue, noticing Jamie & Nary’s Speed Bump there. The other racers’ clue says to go to Margaret’s Farm. Mark & Bopper are right behind them.

J.J. & Art get some help from local kids. They deliver their water with little trouble and collect the clue sending them to the pub. They feel a little bad about having to run off so soon. They reach the U-Turn and see that no one’s used it yet. They quickly use it on Radon. Art & J.J. note that Rachel B. & Dave were supposed to use the U-Turn on Radon if they got there first, so they must not have been there yet. They hope Rachel B. & Dave will U-Turn Nary & Jamie.