Welcome to Wednesday night, as we’re on a new day, with a new time. And of course, I’m running a bit behind, so let’s look at the leg:
Leaderboard (Roadblocks performed in parentheses after Racer name):
If you watch the Race Insider (found on the CBS website), the Racers talk about a Roadblock maximum, so apparently it’s still around.
Top Teams
Hippies, Frat Boys, you know the drill. B.J. and Tyler get the edge this week because they did some good research at the airport to gain a slight lead and maintain it for the rest of the leg.
Bottom Teams
Lake and Michelle dropped from a tie for first to near-worst because of some poor legwork at the airport, forcing them to use the Yield. Lori and David dropped back in the pack because Lori couldn’t accept that there were two extra pieces, and while they weren’t eliminated this leg, her meltdown could cause some problems in this leg.
Airport Bottleneck – Munchen to Palermo
Good work by the Hippies to secure the earlier flight. Not so good work by the Frat Boys to miss getting that flight, and to their credit they admitted as much when they reached the Pit Stop. Lake and Michelle managed to drop several spots because they didn’t look hard enough despite their lead time, and it put them in the main pack trying to avoid elimination.
Detour – Foundry or Laundry
The majority of teams seem to be taking to the luck-based tasks which hasn’t really come back to haunt many of them – except maybe Danielle and Dani. It’s actually surprising to see that Eric and Jeremy aren’t doing the strength tasks since they’re well suited to them, but with the girls gone, maybe they’ll be focused more on the Race. Or at least trying to hit on the local women by showing their strength instead of staying “fresh” for the Pit Stops.
Yield
It was obviously not a malicious thing that Lake and Michelle did to the girls. So far as they knew, Danielle and Dani were the only team behind them, and by Yielding them, it gave them a buffer in which to finish the task and ensure that they avoided elimination.
Roadblock – Statue of Limitations
The idea behind this task was to see if people could accept that there were too many pieces available for assembly, and for most teams, the answer was “yes”. But for two of the teams – Lori/David and Danielle/Dani, this was not the case, costing both a serious amount of time, and allowing one team each to pass them. In the case of the girls, this got them booted from the Race.
And now, it’s time for LIVE coverage of:
The Amazing Race 9, Episode 6, Sleep Deprivation Is Really Starting to Irritate Me
Previously, teams raced from Germany to Italy – more specifically, the island of Sicily. The Bong Squad continued to maintain their lead over the rest of the pack, while Lake and Michelle fell behind. Teams had a fun time searching for laundry, and assembling a statue with a couple of extra pieces. In the end, Danielle and Dani were Yielded, and it helped to eliminate them from the Race. Seven teams remain, and we haven’t come across a non-elimination leg yet. So will someone be Philiminated… next?
Opening Credits
We are in Segesta on the island of Sicily. And at the Teastro de Segesta, an impressive set of ruins, is the fourth Pit Stop in a race around the world Here, teams have a chance to eat, sleep, mingle and hook up before the start of the next leg.
BJ and Tyler, who were the first team to arrive at 2:29pm, are the first team to depart at 2:29am. They’re told to travel 135 miles to Catania (on the other side of the island). Their goal is the ruins of Anitearo Romano, a 2000 year old amphitheatre. They talk trash about the Frat Boys and make fun about their inability to pronounce “Catania”.
Eric and Jeremy, 4:11am. They talk trash about the Hippies – you can tell it’s all in good fun.
Monica and Joseph, 5:00am. Joseph is proud of how Monica has been handling herself. Some foreshadowing there. They get help from a local since they don’t have a map. They didn’t have a map? That’s nuts.
Fran and Barry, 5:18am. They have $63 for this leg of the Race. They not only have a map, they have what looks like a Fodor’s handbook.
Catania, the Hippies follow a taxi to the ruins, and we find that it’s not open until 8:30am. The Hippies then create a “sign up order sheet” (as a joke, maybe) and go to get some sleep.
Michelle and Lake, 6:06am. They know that they’ve made a couple of major mistakes. Lake is suffering from sleep deprivation.
Lori and David, 6:25am. They spout off about 20 different clichés.
Yolanda and Ray, 6:34am. Yolanda is understanding more and more why she loves Ray. Um, yeah. They get some directions from a local.
Catania, and the Frat Boys see the Hippies’ sign up sheet and they all have a good laugh about it.
MoJo and Fran and Barry are in Catania and are looking around.
8:30am. Teams must count the heads around the teatro and report the number to a man in the ruins to get their next clue.
The Hippies count 41, and both they and the Frat Boys get the next clue, which is a
Detour – Big Fish or Little Fish
Big Fish – Teams make their way to a street vendor, pick up a 32-pound swordfish and find a fish vendor at a fish market to get their next clue.
Little Fish – Teams must sell four kilos of a small local fish at the same fish market.
Both teams decide on Big Fish. Meanwhile, Fran and Barry are lost. Yeah, I’m shocked as well…
Ad Break
We’re back, and Michelle and Lake are in Catania, as are the Nerds. Everyone’s stuck in traffic. Yolanda tells Ray to drive as fast as he wants.
Monica and Joseph are the third team to the ruins. Meanwhile, the Frat Boys and Hippies find the swordfish and get to hauling. And now they start running, with apparently no idea of where to go. We get the funny music as they haul fish.
Monica get their clue and decide to do Big Fish. Meanwhile, Hippies and Frat Boys finish the Detour, and get their next clue. They’re told to drive themselves 40 miles to Siracusa to find their next clue. They pass the Razorbacks as they head to their cars. Hippies take time to hug Monica with their fishy smell.
Fran and Barry finally find the ruins and the initial clue. Frats and Hippies team up and head out, as Fran and Barry start counting. Frats and Hippies may have headed different ways. Fran and Barry finish the first task and decide on Little Fish for the Detour.
Michelle and Lake are stuck in traffic, as the Nerds look for a parking spot. They’re now bickering. Yolanda and Ray park their car and start walking around. They seem to be afraid of Ray. Fran and Barry reach the fish market and start selling, with no luck initially. Meanwhile, Monica and Joseph arrive and look for the vendor. Unfortunately, they’re not having much luck. Fran and Barry sell one kilo of fish. Monica is starting to freak out, as we head to an
Ad Break
We’re back, and of course MoJo find the right vendor. They’re on tilt right now. Meanwhile, Fran and Barry have sold four kilos and get their clue. Monica complains about how dirty and smelly she is.
Michelle and Lake arrive at the ruins and pass Fran and Barry. They get their next clue and decide on Big Fish. Joseph honks at some women. Michelle and Lake finish the Detour and head out. Nerds get someone to take them to the ruins. Yolanda and Ray arrive at the ruins, get the Detour and do Big Fish. Nerds arrive at the ruins as Yolanda and Ray haul the fish.
Nerds choose Big Fish.
Siracusa. Frat Boys arrive to find a
Roadblock – Who’s well balanced? The team member must play kayak polo (wha?) and score a goal. Jeremy takes it.
Yolanda and Ray finish the Detour and head out. Nerds finish the Detour a little bit later. They buy a map and head out.
Jeremy scores and the clue tells them to make their way on foot to the Pit Stop at Fonte Aretusa, as the Hippies arrive. B.J. takes it. He finishes quickly and head out.
Fran and Barry and Monica and Joseph arrive at the Roadblock. Barry and Joseph take it.
It’s a footrace, and Eric and Jeremy are team number one. They’ve won a cruise on Freedom of the Seas. Phil tells them they stink. They tell him it’s a new cologne called “Sword”. Phil is not amused.
BJ and Tyler are team number two. Joseph finishes the task, as does Barry. They’re off to the Pit Stop.
Michelle and Lake arrive, and Michelle FINALLY takes one. She’s having trouble, and Lake is upset that he didn’t do it.
Ad Break
We’re back, and Michelle scores! They’re off to the Pit Stop.
Monica and Joseph are team number three. Phil notes that they smell like fish. Fran and Barry are team number four.
Yolanda and Ray are in Siracusa, as are the Nerds.
Michelle and Lake are team number five.
Ray takes the Roadblock. He tips over, but then scores. It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that the Nerds will be last.
Lori and David arrive and David takes it. He finishes, and we get some artificial tension, but unsurprisingly, Yolanda and Ray are team number six.
Lori and David realize that they’ll have to wear fish clothes if it’s non-elimination. Unfortunately, it’s not, and they’ve been Philiminated. They enjoyed every minute of the Race.
Next episode, teams travel to Greece and participate in some Ancient Games, and Fran faces her greatest fear – bungee jumping.
