The Amazing Race 4, Episode 8: You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It

Previously on The Amazing Race, six teams continued their quest to race around the world to win a cool million dollars. A 24-hour train ride proved to be a daunting task for some teams, while others seemed to enjoy themselves. While Tian & Jaree continued to try and work together, it actually played against them and caused them to be eliminated. Well, it wasn’t exactly the actual cause, but they seemed to finish better when they fought! Anyway, five teams remain. Let’s take a look at who we are dealing with this week, and the order they will leave the pit stop:

Dave & Jeff (the Goats) – Best friends/Physical threats
Jon & Al (the Clowns) – Circus clowns/Best friends/Entertainment
Kelly & Jon – Engaged couple/My pick to win/Sentimental favorites
Millie & Chuck (Chillie) – Dating 12 years/Virgins/Not right for one another
Reichen & Chip – Married gay couple/Borderline sentimental favorites

Wow, it’s weird looking at the list of the remaining teams and seeing how short it is. We begin in Alleppey, a rural town in southern India. This water town is the seventh pit stop in a race around the world. At the pit stop, teams can rest up and mingle for 12 hours with the other teams. All the teams are seen around a table chatting away. Reichen says that he left the Air Force because he is gay. He tells the camera it’s his one year anniversary with Chip. They both tell the other teams that they are gay (even though the eliminated teams already knew anyway, and it’s therefore rather likely that everybody else does too.) Reichen says that Chip helped him during a very difficult time in his life, and they fell in love. They got married in California and break it to everyone that it’s their one-year anniversary. Chip is glad that Reichen is comfortable enough to talk about it. The other teams are happy Reichen & Chip opened up. The Clowns are happy that everyone is all together and talking. Chillie also break the news that they are dating for 12 years and are still virgins. Jon says he can’t believe it and he reveals that Kelly and he got engaged right before the race began, and have been having sex since the first week they have known one another. I have to give a laugh. I think deep down I do respect Chillie for staying true to their morals, but Jon & Kelly are just too much sometimes. Dave says in interview that sex has nothing to do with this race and that all the teams that are left are very competitive.

The Goats are the first team to leave the pit stop. It’s 4:02 a.m. Their clue tells them to fly to the city of Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. Their clue will be found in a small town there. They jump in a cab and are off! The Clowns are right behind them, leaving at 4:06 a.m. They both say there are times to be silly and there are times to be serious and focus on the race. This is one of those times. They catch a cab and head to the airport. Kelly & Jon leave at 4:16 a.m. and move so fast that they actually pass the Clowns on the way to the airport. Chillie also leave at 4:16 a.m. and quickly catch a cab. Reichen & Chip are not shown leaving, but grabbing a cab and heading for the airport. They must have been that close to Chillie.

At the airport, the Goats are told by someone that their best bet is to go through Mumbai. The find all the counters closed, and not to open for about another two hours. Reichen & Chip find an office that is open in the International terminal. Chillie find it as well. Chip is getting information on flights while Millie is trying to eavesdrop. Reichen goes to close the door so Millie can’t hear and Millie puts her foot in the way. Chip makes it quite clear that he’s not going to do any talking until the door is shut. Finally he closes it and they get down to business. Chillie decide to hang around and wait to see what happens.

At 6:30 a.m. the Domestic terminal opens their offices and the Goats, Clowns, and Kelly & Jon all start to book their tickets. Indian citizens are pushing ahead of Jon & Kelly and they aren’t happy. Actually, Jon is quite pissed. He wedges his way in there though. At the International terminal, Reichen & Chip are still trying to book something faster. Chillie are waiting on them to see where they go. Reichen & Chip are told by the agent to go to the Domestic terminal because that is their best shot. Chillie then realize they need to do the same and just book a flight to Mumbai. The Goats and Kelly & Jon get on a flight to Mumbai with the Clowns. Chillie get advice from the Clowns to book the same flight. Reichen & Chip don’t want to fly that way. Millie says she is making the bulk of the decisions and when she is wrong, Chuck gets frustrated. Chuck says they trust the clowns though, and will head to Mumbai.

Reichen & Chip find a travel agent that says he may be able to find them a faster flight if they follow him to his office – an hour away. If it works, they will be ahead, if not, they may be eliminated. The first flight, Cochin to Mumbai, leaves at 8:30 a.m. All the teams are on this flight except Reichen & Chip, who are on their way to the travel agent’s office. They are told not to worry, but it looks to me like they are going to be stuck there. They are waiting at this travel agent’s office hoping that someone will get there to open it up (apparently the guy they came with doesn’t have a key). He does finally get there and tells them the flight they want is already full. Over at Mumbai International Airport, all the other teams have arrived. They split up and look for tickets. Chillie and Kelly & Jon find them first. They are both on their way to Singapore. The Clowns find a flight to Kuala Lumpur and the Goats take another flight to Singapore. Reichen & Chip are going straight to Singapore from Cochin. They look really stressed out. They acquire tickets to Kuala Lumpur and are on their way.

In Singapore, Kelly & Jon and Chillie arrive. While Kelly & Jon decide to sleep eight hours in the airport and wait for their next flight, Chillie do the smart thing and start making calls to catch something earlier. They find another flight and leave Kelly & Jon sleeping on the floor. I have to admit, Chillie was definitely thinking smart by looking for something sooner. I yelled at Kelly & Jon to wake up, but they couldn’t hear me through the TV. Damn. Chillie are off to Kuala Lumpur. The Goats get to Singapore airport and are stuck with Kelly & Jon. In Kuala Lumpur, Chillie arrive and hurry to make their connection. Millie is hurrying a little more than Chuck. She says they are opposites and Chuck says he’s not sure about marriage. In interview, Millie says she wants Chuck to be happy, and while tearing up, says she isn’t sure if he will be happy with her. I finally put this all together, and you know what, I like Millie. I’m blaming Chuck for this relationship going nowhere. She wants it to, but apparently Chuck is scared of everything, including commitment. I retract all my mean statements to Millie, and I’m sorry. Back to the race.

The Clowns, Chillie and guess what, Reichen & Chip, all end up on the same flight to Kota Kinabalu. Reichen & Chip are glad to see they caught up. In Singapore, the Goats and Kelly & Jon board their flight to Kota Kinabalu. The first flight there is the one that left Kuala Lumpur. The Clowns, Chillie, and Reichen & Chip all grab cabs and head to the Monsopiad Cultural Village. The Clowns get there first, followed closely by Chillie. Chillie just run right out and pass the Clowns, who can’t get their cabbie to open the trunk. Reichen & Chip’s cab goes right past the entrance and has to go out of the way because of turning issues.

To acquire the next clue, they have to go through some kind of cleansing/good luck ritual. Millie says it’s unusual to go through all this for a clue and states she is Christian and it worries her about what they may be saying as they perform the ritual. They finish and read the next clue: it tells them to get to Kota Kinabalu Boat Jetty and there they will find marked boats that will help them find the next clue. The Clowns go through the ritual and say they enjoyed it because it was something different. They get their clue and head out. Reichen & Chip are right behind both teams and also go through the ritual and get the clue. At this point, the second plane arrives with the Goats and Kelly & Jon. They both head for the village.

At the Boat Jetty, Chillie arrive first. They choose a boat and head off. The Goats get to the village and do the ritual for the clue. Jon & Kelly arrive as the Goats are leaving. Chillie find the fishing boat with the next clue and find out it’s a Detour. Net or Trap? In Net, teams have to take the boat to a platform and use nets to catch 15 fish in marked areas. It does not require a team to be strong, but using the pole net takes skill. In Trap, teams must take their boat to a lobster boat and pull up a weighted trap. This doesn’t take much skill, but will take a good deal of force. Chillie choose trap. The Clowns also get to the detour and choose trap. By this time, Kelly & Jon finish the ritual. Kelly says she was moved while Jon was sitting there looking at his watch. Reichen & Chip get to the Jetty and head out on their boat.

Let’s check in with Chillie. They are dropped off at the Trap Detour – oh wait, no they aren’t. Their boat driver takes them to Net! Chillie just decide to do that instead. The Clowns get to Trap and start pulling. Reichen & Chip get their Detour clue and take Trap. Chillie are having problems. The Clowns pull the lobster trap up and get their next clue. It tells them to have the boat driven to Manukan Island and proceed to the next route marker. Reichen & Chip are also taken to Net instead of Trap, but get back in the boat and head over to the correct Detour. They get there and start pulling. Chillie are fighting while Reichen & Chip quickly finish Trap and head off. Chillie are at 10 fish and need 15 to finish the task. Then, Millie picks up the basket and drops ALL the fish in the water (this after previously catching fish and having them jump out of the bucket and back into the water – the titles are pretty amusing as it charts their progress, both positive and negative). Chuck looks like he is going to poop himself. They quickly regroup.

The Clowns and Reichen & Chip are headed for the island while Chillie finally finish the Detour. On Manukan Island, the Clowns arrive first. Roadblock. The task is using three traditional weapons to hit targets and move on. The weapons are a bow and arrow, blowpipe, and a spear. Once all are done, the team can race right to the pit stop, located just down the beach. Jon does the Roadblock for the Clowns. He says it’s tough to use the bow and arrows. Reichen & Chip get their clue and decide Chip will do it. Chillie arrive and Chuck does the Roadblock. All three teams are now there shooting away.

The Goats get to the Boat Jetty just ahead of Kelly & Jon. Jon from the Clowns finishes bow and arrow and heads to blowpipe. Chip hits it as well and moves on. Jon finishes that and heads to the last stage, spears.

Meanwhile, the Goats choose Net for their detour and Kelly & Jon take Trap. The Goats get to Net and start gathering fish while Kelly & Jon begin Trap. The Goats get fish that are too small – and not in the marked area – and are told to start again. Chuck is still shooting the arrows and is starting to get worried as Millie does the same from the sidelines. Kelly & Jon are pulling the trap, but it’s too heavy for them. Jon from the Clowns is still throwing the spear and Chip joins him. Chuck finally hits the target with the arrow. Chip hits with the spear and they head for the pit stop. Jon finishes too and they also run off.

The clowns barely beat Reichen & Chip to the pit stop because Reichen & Chip start to run in the wrong direction. So Jon & Al finish as team number one and win a vacation to exotic Mexico! I’m glad, they deserve it. Chuck hits the target with the blowpipe and is off to spears. The Goats are almost done with the Detour while Jon & Kelly are still struggling. The Goats finish and head off to the island. Jon & Kelly let the trap go and it falls to the bottom. They decide to do the other Detour. Chuck is doing spear when the Goats get to the Roadblock. Jeff will do it. Kelly & Jon quickly finish Net and head to the island to join the other teams. Chuck finishes the Roadblock and Chillie check in third. Jeff is doing the Roadblock and finishes the bow and arrow and blowpipe portions like a pro! On the spear part, Dave is coaching Jeff and it’s starting to get on his nerves.

Kelly & Jon finally arrive and Kelly will do the Roadblock. The Goats finish the spear part and are team number four. Kelly starts the Roadblock with Jon saying, “Be the bow, be the arrow.” She hits it and Jon collapses. I laugh. Jon is coaching more while Kelly finishes up the blowpipe and spear parts. She is happy that she did it. They scurry to the pit stop and find out they are last. However, this is not an elimination round! It’s the first of three non-elimination legs. Kelly looks so relieved but says she wanted to slap the smirk off Jon’s face for being right – that they wouldn’t be eliminated.

Jon says that he and Kelly are ready to give it their all. Chuck says that Reichen & Chip are relentless and will do whatever it takes to get an edge over the other. Reichen & Chip say that Chillie aren’t as innocent as they claim to be – their halos are a little bent. Jeff states that it’s ever team for themselves from this point on. Kelly says that the other teams think her team is weak, but they are ready to kick some ass. Next week, teams struggle to gain the lead. Tensions are going to run high between Kelly & Jon because of mistakes, and several seconds will separate who stays for the next leg and who will be eliminated. This should be pretty exciting.

Now, time for my opinion: Kelly & Jon were lucky this wasn’t an elimination round, but just because you pretty much know it’s not doesn’t mean you should take your time and not worry about things. Reichen & Chip were lucky that they got that flight to Kuala Lumpur. If they didn’t, they surely would have been hours behind everyone. I like the fact that they march to their own drummer though and don’t always follow everyone. The Clowns ran a solid leg as usual while the Goats seemed to slide a little bit this leg. Chillie are not on my bad side anymore, but Millie has to learn to be less domineering and Chuck has to let loose a little more. Once they can get a middle ground to work on, they will be set. Next week is going to be crazy as the teams fight to be in the final four. The finish line is getting closer every week!

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

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