The Amazing Race 4, Episode 3: You Can Only Mess Up So Many Times

Back at the detour, Tian & Jaree and Monica & Sheree find The Figaro House after tricking Jon & Al into thinking they had not. Very nice job, I must say. Jon & Kelly are still looking for the Beethoven house. The girls get to the route marker and the route info tells them to make their way to the Donauturm Danube Tower. This tower is 1150 ft. tower, and looks over much of Vienna. Meanwhile, Millie & Chuck, Jon & Al, and Reichen & Chip all find The Figaro House and get the next piece of route info. Jon & Kelly are still lost at this point and Kelly admits that they should have done the Mozart detour instead of Beethoven. However, after pulling themselves together and getting on a train, they find a nice woman who leads them to their destination where they complete their detour.

Monica & Sheree, along with Tian & Jaree, get to the next route marker and find out it's a roadblock. The roadblock question basically screams they will be bungee jumping off the tower. Tian goes for her team while Sheree does it for hers. Both women finish it rather quickly and find out their final task this leg of the race is to get to the city of Gmunden, which is 185 miles away. The next pit stop is located there and they must get there by train.

Several minutes later, Reichen, Jon, and Millie suit up to do the roadblock for their teams. Reichen goes first, then Jon finishes, but Millie is apparently having another asthma attack - and she left her inhaler in her pack, which she didn't take up with her for the jump, obviously. Now, why would she want to do this if she knows she has asthma? What if she had an attack while making the jump? This whole scenario doesn't seem right to me. Stupid Chuck… can't bungee himself, can't commit to a real relationship, and never knows where he's going. Poor Millie. Anyway, she eventually gets over her attack and makes the jump successfully.

Reichen & Chip, along with the two "all girl teams," get to the train station and make the first train to Gmunden. Jon & Kelly just finish up the roadblock at this point. Actually, only Jon does while Kelly cheers from the bottom. They are on their way to the pit stop! By this time, Jeff & Dave and Russell & Cindy get to the roadblock. Jeff and Russell bungee. Steve & Dave are taking their time because they pretty much know they are last and know they can't keep up with the other teams. Dave & Jeff make the second train out of Vienna along with Jon & Al, Millie & Chuck, and Jon & Kelly. Russell & Cindy are bickering in the taxi on the way to the train station and moving at an ever-so-slow pace probably trying to lose the lead that they have on the other teams. They tend to do that. Sometimes I think it's intentional how often they do it. I swear, this team is Lenny & Karen revisited. Dave & Steve finally get to the roadblock and Steve does it for them. Dave jokes that Steve getting ready to jump was like an eclipse because his bulbous body blocked the sun. He also said Steve looked like a whale jumping. I love how they know how to joke about all this. They finish and head for the pit stop.

Remember Josh & Steve going for the fast forward? Well, they finally get to Gmunden and find out they are the first team to arrive. Steve & Dave finally get to the train station and get on a train. Russell & Cindy get there too and putz around for 45 minutes after buying tickets for a train to the wrong city, Gmund instead of Gmunden. By chance, they do find out their tickets are for the wrong place and they get them switched. They think they still have time to beat others. Meanwhile, the first train gets to Gmunden with the ladies and Reichen & Chip. Monica & Sheree find out they climbed out of last place and are team number two. They are so happy, I love them. Reichen & Chip are third and couldn't be happier. Tian & Jaree come in fourth. They are staring to get a little more consistent, I will give them that, but they really need to start getting along better. Russell & Cindy are now fighting on the train because they think they may be done. These two amaze me.

Millie & Chuck are very happy to hear they are in fifth, while we get a shot of Steve & Dave not being very optimistic about still being in the race after this leg. C'mon guys, I have faith in both of you! Make the Gutsy Grannies proud! Jon & Al check in as team number six, while Russell & Cindy are still fighting on the train. Dave & Jeff are next in seventh, while Jon & Kelly are team number eight. Kelly is happy because she thought they were ninth. Kelly, I love ya, but eighth is not good. I want your team in first! Steve & Dave along with Russell & Cindy are both rushing to get to the pit stop first. It is a little hard to figure out who was on the better train, but we find out it was Steve & Dave because they are team number nine. They really can't believe that they are still in the race and are very happy that they never gave up. They also realize they have to reevaluate their strategy in order to keep up with the younger teams.

Russell & Cindy run up to the mat to find they are last and eliminated. Russell says it was amazing and he is glad he did the race. Cindy says she realizes how competitive Russell is and that it can sometimes be a double-edged sword. She isn't sure how she feels about him and needs some time to think about it. I don't think Russell cares because he kept talking about the experience, not mentioning one word about their relationship. Next week looks like the racers will be on a high-speed race track. Tian & Jaree will get in a confrontation with Steve & Dave, which looks like it ends with Steve telling them to check their tires. Looks like the old cat still has claws! And that my friends, is that.

I do have some final thoughts. Russell & Cindy got exactly what they deserved. I stated in both my previous recaps that they were poor racers and always made horrible decisions. It finally caught up with them. I don't think Reichen & Chip are evil, and I still like them. Josh & Steve are now on my good side and I hope it stays that way. I do have a hatred for Tian & Jaree for pulling the ticket off my Kelly's carriage though. So I was right about who would go this week. Next week, I say it's time for Steve and Dave to go. They have no fast forward, and it's clear they are too slow for this. I like them, but it's their time. I picked three specific teams to go first in my preview article. All three are still in the race. Goes to show you how much I know. Can't wait for next week!

Phil Kural is a senior at Temple University, and can be reached at pkural@temple.edu.

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