TAR: Voodoo Magic

Amazing Race
You’re Gonna to Get Me Killed

I am happy to say that Team S&M lived up to their name again in this episode. I don’t like it when they get along since then it makes their team name make no sense! They were back in fine form. I even missed Team Emo in this leg because I could just imagine Terence informing everyone how each task was the hardest thing he had ever done while asking Sarah to touch his hair or something. Oh those crazy kids.

They didn’t give times that the teams left the pit stop. Why? What are they hiding? What is the conspiracy? Oh the drama….

The order in which teams left the pit stop:

  • Toni & Dallas (mom/son)
  • Ken & Tina (Team S&M)
  • Nick & Starr (siblings)
  • Andrew & Dan (frat guys)

Clue: Teams had to travel to a retired nuclear submarine. They had to go on it, find the sonar room and find an actor who was in The Hunt For Red October to get their next clue.

All the teams found taxis and the submarine without any problems. The first three teams arrived at the submarine at pretty much the same time. The frat guys had to be a bit more behind them. They all went running around the submarine looking for the officer with the clue. Dallas found it first, followed by Ken and then Nick.

Clue: Teams had to travel by taxi across town to an outdoor museum called Park Iskusstv, known to the locals as the graveyard of fallen monuments, and search around the grounds of the park for the next clue.

After all the other teams got into their taxis and took off for the next clue, the frat boys arrived at the submarine. The other teams were all stuck in traffic. Team S&M were coughing in their taxi since the driver was smoking. Tina asked Ken to ask the guy if he could smoke later. I would just deal with it since he could just kick them out. The frat boys found a taxi driver that spoke English and hoped their luck had turned around finally. The siblings arrived at the park and found the clue box first. It was a road block.

Graveyard of Fallen Monuments

Road Block: The team member had to scour the park and count how many monuments there were of Lenin (6) and how many were of Stalin (2). They had to then go to an antique book store and give the number 62 to the store owner in order to retrieve a book. If they got the number wrong, they had to wait 10 minutes before making another attempt. After getting the correct book, they had to turn to page 62 to read information that would lead them to their next destination, which was the apartment building of a famous Russian author, Mikhail Bulgakov. The next clue is at that building.

Oh that sounds hard and easy to mess up! I love it! The road block asked who was good at solving mysteries. Nick chose to do it. It would have been hilarious watching Starr having a nervous breakdown trying to figure it out, but Nick will probably do it all nice and calm like. Mom/son and Team S&M were still driving. The frat boys got out of their cab, but weren’t sure if they were at the right place or not. Nick had found one statue of Lenin and Stalin. Not sure where the frat boys were, but Toni & Dallas arrived at the road block. Toni asked Dallas to do it. While he was wandering around he said it was a bad idea since he didn’t know who any of the statues were. The frat boys were looking at some map in a park and realizing they were not at the right park. Andrew was saying they had drove 40 minutes to get to that park and it was the wrong one. Dan said there was no way they were going to make it to the finish line that day. The driver figured out where they needed to go and the frat boys were off in that direction.

Back at the actual road block park, Nick was counting statues and Starr was at the clue box waiting for Nick to figure it out and meet her there. Nick had his 6 and 2 numbers and went to go find the shop keeper. He felt pretty confident in his numbers even though there were so many statues in the park. Dallas was still trying to figure the statues out. Toni had arrived at the clue box to wait with Starr. Team S&M arrived at the road block. Tina decided to do it. Then Tina started yelling at it was raining and the jacket she was putting on didn’t have a hood on it. Oh, if you lived in the Northwest like me, you would have hoods on all jackets! While Ken was trying to help give her his jacket, she was yelling at him to shut up. Nick ran past them and got in their cab to go to the shop. He was thrilled the cab had GPS.  Ken was wishing Tina good luck and she was telling him to get out of there since he couldn’t help her with the road block. She told him he might as well go. Ah, the love! She found a Stalin statue right away. I am not sure if Dallas had identified anyone yet. The frat boys were still driving. Ken arrived at the clue box to wait for Tina. Dallas finally found a Stalin statue. It appeared that Dallas was getting Stalin and Lenin mixed up since he counted about 4 Stalins and one Lenin and who he was looking at was the other guy.

Nick arrived at the book store and told her the correct number so he got the book. Nick got to that page and read about a building on a street so he figured that was where he needed to go. He headed back to his cab to go there. Dallas was finished counting. He had six Stalins and three Lenins. oops! He got into a cab and arrived at the bookstore. Dallas walked right by Nick without seeing him. He was too intent on looking for the book store. Nick got into the cab asking if the cab driver knew where the apartment was of the author on the street in the book. The cab driver told him they would find it. Dallas was told that 36 was the wrong number. He had to wait 10 minutes before he could guess again. Tina was going through the park to count the Lenins one more time.

Dallas finally got to go back in and make another guess. He went in to guess 46. Wrong! He went back outside the store to wait another 10 minutes. Tina was getting into a cab to the store. She thought the number was 52. She said there was an iffy one that could be Lenin, making the number 62. Nick arrived at a building and ran over to the clue box. He did it! He made it look so easy.

Clue: Teams had to make their way to Sokol’Niky Park. They had to search the park for a lady with a Shetland pony for their next clue.

They headed off to the park while the frat boys arrived at the road block. Andrew decided to do it. Tina got to the book store and Dallas asked her what her number was before she went into the store. He told her what numbers he had guessed that were wrong. She said she would go see if her number was correct. She went in and guessed 52. Wrong! She went out and told Dallas her guess and they were both stumped outside the book store. In the cab, the siblings were on the way to the park. Nick wondered if he should even draw a pony to see if anyone would recognize what he was drawing. Starr asked if it was a horse pony or a pony tail. WAT! Nick explained that Shetland pony was a breed so it was a horse. He’s way too nice. They got to the park and found the lady right away. The clue was a detour.

Ride the Rails vs. Ride the Lines

Detour: Teams had to choose between two forms of transportation commonly used in Moscow. In Ride the Rails, teams had to make their way on foot to the metro station where they would catch the train to a specified station. At the station, they had to find a marked stall and get a traditional pastry. On the wrapper, it would give them their next clue directing them to another station. Once there, they had to find a statue dedicated to the men who created the Cyrillic alphabet. Near the statue, a lady would take the pastry and give them a postcard with a picture of their final destination, another station where they would find the next clue box. In Ride the Lines, teams had to find a bus stop near Sokol’Niky Park and take the trolley bus to another station to find a key maker who would give them a key with directions to their next stop, which was Rizhskaya Train Station. Once there, they had to search the station for the locker that matched the key. When they opened the locker, they would get the postcard with the name and picture of their final location of the next clue box.

The siblings decided to ride the rails since Nick was an expert at the subway system. Back at the road block, Andrew was trying to remember what Stalin looked like. He went over to his cab driver and asked him for help. At the bookstore, Tina and Dallas were discussing their numbers. Dallas realized that he might have had Stalin and Lenin backwards. He was convinced there were three Stalin though so when he went in, he said 63 and it was wrong. He went back outside. Tina went in and guessed 62. She ran out and told him the number while she went to find the apartment. Andrew went flying through the park with the cab driver. They came up with 61 since they only saw one Stalin. He got into the cab and made his way to the bookstore.  Dallas finally went back into the bookstore and said 62 to get the book. He made his way back to his cab so he could head to the apartment building.

Back at the metro station, the siblings were figuring out what line to get on to get to the next station and buy tickets. Nick figured out where to transfer before they boarded the train and went to wait for one. Dan made it to the clue box at the end of the roadblock to wait with Ken and Toni. Tina arrived soon after Dan did. She told Toni she had helped Dallas out. As soon as the Team S&M left, Dan laughed at Tina saying she helped. Dallas was on his way to the clue box when Andrew arrived at the bookstore with his guess of 61. He was told it was wrong. He had to wait 10 minutes. Dallas arrived at the building, but as soon as his taxi drove away, he realized he had left his passport and all his money in the cab.  He went to the cluebox and told his mom what happened. I think I’d be chasing the cab down the street, but not sure how far away he was when he realized it. At the bookstore, Andrew guessed 62 and got the book. He was on the way to meet up with Dan at the road block. Toni & Dallas were about to ask Dan for some money to borrow so they could take a taxi to the next clue, but Dan had given all the money to Andrew. They were thinking they might start begging on the streets.

The siblings got on one train. Team S&M were being super awesome in the cab ride with Tina being super negative and telling Ken that he’s never positive. She should watch the show and see what a treasure she can be! The siblings got off one train and on another one. Toni & Dallas found some nice Russian kids that told them where the park was located and gave them some money so they could get there. Andrew arrived at the cluebox with Dan. They headed that way in a taxi. Mom/son decided to take the metro to the park since it was cheaper, but the clue said to take a taxi. Not sure if that will cost them later. Team S&M arrived at the park and looked for the pony. They decided to do Ride the Lines. The siblings found the correct station and marked stall to get the pastry. They read the clue and ran to get back on another subway train. Team S&M were searching for the trolley bus stop.

Mom/son got to the park at the same time as the frat boys. They were both running to the pony at the same time. If only it was the pit stop. The frat boys had to do their speed bump first, but before that happened, mom/son weren’t able to get their clue because they didn’t take a taxi to the park. They went to find a taxi. Now on to the speed bump for the frat boys. They had to perform a Russian dance. Uh-oh! Dan has no rhythm! How will he complete this task? While they were practicing the dance, Toni & Dallas were asking two Russian men if they could help them get back to the apartment. They told them what bus to take and gave them all the money they had on them. Team S&M got on a bus and hoped it was a trolley bus to get to the next place. The driver did say it would take them where they wanted to go. The frat boys completed one dance, but the instructor said it was no good so they had to go again.

The siblings got off at the station to look for the statue. One passenger on the bus with Team S&M asked where they were trying to go and then when Tina said they wanted to be on a trolley bus, the lady told them it wasn’t a trolley bus. The siblings turned over their pastry to the little old lady next to the statue and she handed them the postcard with the next clue. It was back on the metro for them! Team S&M got off at the next stop, saw which bus was a trolley bus (it was connected to the wires), and then took a taxi back to the park so they could start over again correctly. At least they learned that it doesn’t pay to not do the clue correctly.  Back at the Russian dancing, the frat boys actually completed it well enough to the instructor’s liking so they got their next clue. They got their clue to go talk to the pony lady. She gave them the detour clue. The picked Ride the Lines. At that time, Toni & Dallas had arrived back at the apartment and found a taxi to take them back to the park.

Team S&M arrived back at the park and got on a trolley bus after Tina almost got hit with cars crossing the street while yelling at Ken that he was going to get her killed. She was the one running into traffic! The frat boys arrived at the bus stop. Was it just after Team S&M? They almost got on the wrong bus, but the driver pointed out the one they wanted was across the street. Dan was yelling about they made a huge mistake. I was wondering if the bus that had just pulled away when they were getting there was the one with Team S&M on it. Another one showed up by the time they ran across the street so they got on that one. Dan and Tina should hang out and complain about things. The siblings arrived at the last station and searched for the next clue box. They found it right away. It was the clue to the pit stop.

Pit Stop

Teams had to make their way on foot to the next pit stop, which was VDNKh Park. The siblings got directions and ran over. They were the first team to arrive. They won a trip to the island of Anguila. They were also one of the final three teams racing in the last leg.

Back on the detour, Team S&M were getting off at their first stop, Metro Station Krasnoselskaya. They found their key maker that gave them the directions to the next station they had to travel to by trolley bus. Shortly after that, the frat boys got their key and got back on their same bus to go to the next stop. Toni & Dallas were still heading back to the park. Team S&M got off on the stop where the lockers were for their key. The frat boys got off next. Team S&M got their post card out of the locker and caught another bus to the last stop. The frat boys got their post card out of another locker, but didn’t pass Team S&M. I don’t know if they were as close together as it was making them seem. Mom/son finally got back to the park with the pony. They were going to beg for more money so they could do one of the detours. Team S&M got off at the last stop and were looking for the clue box in the station. The frat boys got off and saw the building on the post card and were headed over there. Mom/son asked a lady if she knew how much it would cost to take the trolley bus to a station. She told them and gave them the money.

Back in lost land, Team S&M were not finding a clue box. Ken took the post card away from Tina saying that they should probably go to the building across the street that looked like what was on the post card. Tina was sure that it was where they were since it said to search the station. There was no station where they were so I have no idea why she thought a bunch of dirt she was standing on was a station. The frat boys were over at the building searching for the clue box. They found it. Mom/son got off the bus and found the key maker. They had to find someone to ask for more money.

Team S&M were still wandering around somewhere not where the clue box was located. The frat boys were reading the clue for the pit stop. Oh my god. How did they actually catch up? Team S&M were wandering around the pit stop area and saw the frat boys running. They started chasing them. The frat boys arrived at the pit stop in second place with Team S&M right behind them.  Phil congratulated the frat boys saying they were going to be in the final leg. They were shocked they were in second place. Team S&M were freaking out that they were in third place. Phil told them they were third, but they did not get their last clue so he could not check them in. They had to complete the detour first.

Team S&M were wandering around still wondering where the clue box was located while mom/son were getting money from someone else so they could go to the station with the locker. Team S&M kept wandering around, not finding the clue box. Mom/son were getting close to the locker station when Team S&M finally started asking people where the building was located on the post card. I thought Ken already figured that out. I have no idea why they didn’t go to the building then. Mom/son were looking for the locker when Team S&M finally located the clue box. They read it and then headed back to the pit stop. They will be the third team on the last leg.

Phil actually went to the locker station to tell Toni & Dallas they were the last team and they would be eliminated from the race. He probably wanted to stop them from begging people for money just to be told they had lost. So sad! I wanted them to win.

Here were the pit stop standings:

  • Nick & Starr (siblings)
  • Andrew & Dan (frat guys)
  • Ken & Tina (Team S&M)
  • Toni & Dallas (mom/son)

Questions

  1. Who do you want to win the million dollars?
  2. Is there one team that you do not want to win the million dollars?
  3. Would you have continued on in the race like Dallas or would you have chased the cab driver down to get your passport and money?
  4. What kind of voodoo magic has made it possible for the frat boys to be in the final three?

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