The Amazing Race 9, Episode 10: First Class and Cargo Class Awards

This week gave us some interesting tasks on The Amazing Race. We saw our teams face crocodiles, go skydiving, swim down a creek through creepy creatures, and play an Aboriginal instrument. Read Jenn’s always-exciting recap for all the details. All caught up? Good. On to the awards!

First Class this week goes to Ray & Yolanda. They started out in last place on this leg and remained toward the back of the pack for much of the early stages. They did not let this get them down, and they seem to have worked out the relationship and communication difficulties that plagued them in recent legs. Yolanda & Ray worked very well together, made decisions efficiently, and supported each other throughout the leg.

Ray & Yolanda fell victim to Eric & Jeremy’s juvenile decision to cancel everyone’s cabs (including their own) and although they suspected Mojo (because Jeremy & Eric somehow did not cancel that cab), they did not let it hamper their progress on the race. They shook it off and called for a new cab right away. They were last coming out of the crocodile farm, but again kept their focus and avoided falling further behind the other teams.

Ray & Yolanda picked the detour that turned out to be the faster of the two, and although neither of them will be playing in any didgeridoo bands anytime soon, they completed it without any trouble. They had a map that showed exactly where they needed to go, and they realized as they set out that the most important thing was to not screw up on their way to the pit stop. Excellent choice picking a map that showed all the popular tourist spots, as those are often pit stop locations. OK, it could have been a strock of luck that they ended up with that particular map, but either way it gave them a clear advantage even if they weren’t ahead of the other teams. So, for putting your communication issues behind you, running a great leg, and fast becoming my favorite team on the race, Ray & Yolanda please head right into First Class. Kick off your shoes, curl up with a pillow and blanket, and enjoy your hot meal! You’ve earned it!

Cargo Class this week is once again going to Monica & Joseph, Team Mojo. I am officially renaming this award Mojo Class. Yeah, that’s right; these two have passed Lake & Michelle on the annoyance factor. It’s at the point where every time Monica opens her mouth I want to throw something through my TV. Mojo somehow managed to escape the Eric & Jeremy cab-canceling trick, and inexplicably remained silent when BJ & Tyler asked if they were the ones who canceled the cabs. While it’s likely that their denials wouldn’t have been believed, they should at least have made the effort.

Mojo became progressively more annoying throughout this leg. (Yeah, I left that sentence in from last week’s article, because it just fits them so well.) They whined about being yielded, claiming it was a dirty move. As my RNO colleagues have so aptly stated, anything that is a designated part of the game cannot be a dirty move! Is it fun? Surely not. Do teams want to be yielded? Of course not. But had Mojo arrived first, you can bet they would have yielded Tyler & BJ themselves.

But complaining about being yielded wasn’t enough for Mojo. Monica complained about where the hippies parked, how they actually arrived at the airfield first, and about Joseph telling her not to cry. Joseph pointed out that they would most likely end up in second place anyway, but this wasn’t good enough for Monica. Hey, Monica, in this race all you have to do until the final leg is NOT GET PHILIMINATED! Yes the “extras” that the first place teams get are nice, but they are not the ultimate prize. Get over it already and just be glad you are still in the ract! The two of them then proceeded to bicker and didn’t notice when the hourglass had run out. There’s more I could say but writing this is just getting me agitated again. So, for yet another week, Mojo will be riding in the belly of the plane. I hear if you stick your head between your knees it can help with airsickness.

So there it is. We’re still down to the final four teams. Next week we have monkeys stealing food in Thailand. I can’t wait! I love monkeys! Just ask my friend Amy. Join me for next week’s awards, and in the meantime stay with Reality News Online for all things Amazing Race. Ciao!

Sandy Lamparello is an Assistant Editor for Reality News Online and a Legal Editor for a publishing company in Washington, DC. She hopes her beloved Yankees beat the stuffing out of the Red Sox this week in the Bronx.You may reach her at realitytvjunkie@gmail.com. She doesn’t care whether you agree or disagree, she just wants to hear from you!

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