The Amazing Race 20, Episode 6: “Like In Rome, Do Like You’re In Azerberjistan”

Previously on Have Fun Storming the Castle, eight teams traveled from Italy to Bavaria. Mark & Bopper yodeled. Vanessa & Ralph fought. Beards were styled. Gnomes were thrown across an ice rink. J.J. & Art won for the third leg in a row. Kerri & Stacy found Phil last and were eliminated, leaving us with seven teams.

Art & J.J. get to spend part of their rest period researching their prize trip. Then they leave at 8:48 to head to Baku, Azerbaijan. Phil tells us this is part of the former USSR. The clue sends the racers to the Temple Ateshgah, the Temple of Fire. Spooky! J.J. & Art know that any challenge could set them back, so they’re trying to remain humble. They also know Joey & Danny are right on their tails.

Joey & Danny are also wearing what J.J. & Art describe as ‘80s winter gear. It’s the neon orange glasses. They know they’re strong and could really do well in the race. Vanessa & Ralph are a little embarrassed by their behavior last week, and know that they could win something if they stopped screwing up.

Rachel B. & Dave are off. He tells her where Azerbaijan is, which probably makes him the only person on the race to know that information. Rachel R. & Brendon (Radon) depart next, making a stop at a travel agency to book tickets. Bopper & Mark leave next, and Mark thinks Azerbaijan is in Africa. Nary & Jamie seem to know where it really is, but then again, they’re probably good at geography. You know, since they’re teachers.

Art & J.J. reach the Munich Airport and attempt to “finagle” a good flight. Nice use of the word “finagle.” They can get a flight leaving at 6:20 p.m. that well get them to Baku a little after 4 a.m. Which means they’ll probably be hanging around Baku for at least three hours before they do anything. Joey & Danny run into Vanessa & Ralph at the airport, but Danny doesn’t want Joey to say hi to the other team. He tells Joey that saying hi will put them behind. The camera swoops behind them to show Vanessa standing there. “Hi,” she says brightly. That was awesome.

The 6:20 flight looks to be the earliest, and everyone gets seats. Once in Baku, Rachel B. & Dave move to the front of the pack, followed by Danny & Joey, then Nary & Jamie. Vanessa & Ralph are lagging. There is indeed a fire at the Temple of Fire, as well as musicians, dancers, and guys with swords. Dave & Rachel B. run around looking for a clue, but instead see a sign that says the temple opens at sunrise. They try to ask the dancers for the clue. The dancers respond by taking their hands and making them join their dance. That’s pretty cool.

There’s nothing to do until sunrise, so the racers enjoy the dancing and music. When the sun comes up, the door to the temple is unlocked and everyone files inside. The clue envelope in the temple holds a Fast Forward, in which one team can go to a hay market to unload and stack up 150 bales of hay in a specific formation. The note mentions that there are three trucks available, so three teams could compete at the same time, but only Rachel B. & Dave and Joey & Danny decide to try it. The other teams are sent to Occupational Training International for their next clue.

Joey & Danny and Dave & Rachel B. know they’re taking a risk trying the Fast Forward, but they think it’s worth it. Nary & Jamie know they’ll have to start over behind everyone else if they don’t get the Fast Forward, and that’s not worth it. Both Fast Forward-attempting teams arrive and race to be the first to complete the task. Each team sends one member to the top of a truck to throw down bales of hay while the other starts stacking them.

Meanwhile, the other teams are heading for the training center. The cab drivers are all driving fast. Mark’s stomach doesn’t like this. Mine wouldn’t either. He says it’s better than him and Bopper trying to navigate by themselves. Joey & Danny are working really well together, remaining optimistic, while Dave & Rachel B. are… not so much. He keeps throwing hay down when she’s not ready. Maybe they should switch places. Also, Dave tossing the hay directly onto the formation can’t help with the required dimensions.

Art & J.J., Mark & Bopper, Nary & Jamie, and Ralph & Vanessa converge on the training center, where Bopper & Mark are first to find the next clue. It’s a Roadblock telling them that “what goes up must come down.” One racer from each team needs to go underwater in an escape helicopter and take part in a disaster exercise. Bopper, J.J., and Jamie take the task. Radon arrive before Vanessa & Ralph find the clue, and Brendon and Vanessa accept the Roadblock.

Hay is still being tossed, and now Rachel B. & Dave are working together much better. It helps that since the formation is higher, making it closer to Dave, it’s easier to get everything together. They’re done before Danny & Joey and collect their instructions to go straight to the Pit Stop, Esplanade Eskada. Dave’s really proud of his wife, and she’s pleased with their teamwork. Not pleased: Joey & Danny, who are now behind everyone else.

Bopper, Jamie, and J.J. jump in a pool for their Roadblock. Mark lets Nary know that his partner has a crush on Jamie. He reminds her that Bopper helped them with the harp task a couple weeks ago; he told Bopper he “wanted to put [his] two cents in.” Nary just laughs. The Roadblockers are submerged, and I’m not afraid of water or anything, but I think this task would freak me out. The helicopter then turns over and the Roadblockers are upside-down. Yeah, I’d be freaking out.

An alarm sounds and the Roadblockers start trying to get out of the helicopter. J.J. has trouble getting the window open, but once he does, everyone gets out fine. They then climb into a safety raft, where their clues are waiting. They’re to go to a carpet shop next.

Dave can smell Phil’s cologne from the cab. Heh. When he’s not yelling at Rachel, he’s not a bad guy. Anyway, they’re obviously the first team to get to the mat, and they win product-placed cars. Rachel thinks they’ll be able to stay on top. By the way, only two teams to have won legs this season are Rachel B. & Dave and J.J. & Art. The other teams should be really nervous.

Vanessa watches Brendon do the Roadblock. Rachel R. says it was like he did an obstacle course in the water. Joey & Danny head to the training center, hoping another team is having problems. Cut to Vanessa telling us she’s not good with enclosed spaces or being underwater, so this Roadblock is a double whammy for her. I’m sure it also doesn’t help that she’s the only one doing it. At least J.J., Jamie, and Bopper got to work together.

When it’s time for Vanessa to get out of the helicopter, she… doesn’t. At least not at first. She’s not thrilled about having to go through a window, but she makes it. Joey & Danny arrive next, and as Joey gets ready for the Roadblock, Danny tells us it’s miserable to know they’re at the back of the pack.

Mark & Bopper, Art & J.J., Radon, and Nary & Jamie all reach the carpet shop at the same time. The clue there is a Detour. The choices are Apples and Oil. In Apples, teams search old cars full of apples to find one with a race flag. In Oil, teams go to a health center and clean up a guy who’s just bathed in oil. Radon, J.J. & Art, and Mark & Bopper opt for that one, but Jamie & Nary would rather look through the apples.

Joey tells us he used to be a lifeguard, so being underwater isn’t a big deal for him. He’s done with the Roadblock pretty quickly, leaving seemingly before Ralph & Vanessa reach the carpet shop. They’re not too observant and start searching through carpets even though the clues look to be in plain sight.

J.J. & Art meet their oil-bather, who looks very happy to be there. They’re shocked to see oil come out of a faucet instead of water. J.J. knows something about this sort of thing, as it was done in Rome: “Like in Rome, do like you’re in Azerberjistan.” Awesome. Just… awesome.

Jamie & Nary are at the apple cars. “Teachers love apples,” Jamie points out. Heh. They can feel the eyes of all the locals watching them. Bopper & Mark are next to Oil and get to cleaning. Radon’s next, and Rachel can’t believe the oil is real oil. Vanessa & Ralph finally find the clues, which really were right in front of them. They choose Apples. Mark & Bopper call over to J.J. & Art that they sound like they’re having too much fun. The guys can’t help but laugh over the task.

Some locals at Apples are snacking on the fruit, which I guess means a couple left for the teams to have to deal with. Vanessa climbs into a trunk to search, saying she hopes it’s the last time she’s in one. Back at Oil, Rachel remarks that she doesn’t think her bather minds that she’s bathing him. J.J. & Art are done and get to go to the Pit Stop. “We feel kind of violated,” J.J. tells us. How does he think the other guy feels? Art says that sometimes, when you want a million dollars, you just have to scrub a man’s junk. Well, they would know better than I would.

Mark & Bopper and Radon are done next, and chase Art & J.J. to the mat. The Border Patrol agents have no trouble finding Phil. They’re fine with coming in second since the Fast Forward was in play. Joey & Danny find the clue in the carpet shop and head to Apples. That’s definitely the slower task. One of the locals yells for the teams to search faster. Ralph can’t tell if he’s saying that or something about Vanessa’s “melons.” Wrong fruit, Ralph. Vanessa says the guy probably can’t see her melons, but she’s going commando. I guess that solves the dilemma of how much underwear to pack for the race.

In actual competition news, Jamie & Nary soon find a flagged apple and take off for the mat. Vanessa has flashbacks to the “watermelon avalanche” from a few weeks ago. Mark & Bopper and Radon arrive at the mat just seconds apart, checking in third and fourth. Brendon’s proud that they keep moving up in the rankings.

Joey & Danny think that being from the Big Apple might give them an advantage with the apples. Yeah, sure. Nary & Jamie are a little disappointed to be in fifth place, but at least they’re not still looking for a flagged apple. Actually, neither are Ralph & Vanessa, as they pluck one out. Ralph takes a bite before they get their clue. After they leave, Joey & Danny arrive, now the only team working on a Detour.

Vanessa & Ralph’s cab driver heads off to figure out where to go, and then seemingly disappears. Meanwhile (or so we’re led to believe), Joey & Danny find an apple with a flag. They note that they could still be in this – previously they went from tenth place to second, so anything’s possible. Vanessa & Ralph’s driver returns, so they’re also on their way to find Phil.

Of the two trailing teams, Ralph & Vanessa are first to find Phil. They’re in sixth place, which gets a “cheese and crackers” from Vanessa (the team’s swear-phrase of choice this week). They know they have a lot of room for improvement.

Danny & Joey straggle in and get eliminated. Aww, that’s harsh. They’re hurt that they were just starting to get better, but they’re happy they got to experience everything they did on the race. They’re happy to have made it six legs. I bet the other teams are pretty relieved to have them gone – they were definitely threats to win this whole thing.

Next week there’s no show because of the Country Music Awards, but in two weeks, it looks like Mark’s prediction comes true and the teams do go to Africa. Also, Vanessa and Rachel R. get really catty, to Nary’s amusement.

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Jenn Brasler, an associate editor of Reality News Online and a writer/book enthusiast/secret spy from Falls Church, Virginia, has e-mail (jennbrasler47@gmail.com),Twitter (@jennb47), and a blog about ‘90s YA books and TV shows (‘90s Flashback). She has found that the words “submersed” and “submerged” rarely means anything good.

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