Recap: The Amazing Race 13, Episode 6 – “My Mom’s the worst wingman ever.”

The Leg
STEPPING IT UP
Nick & Starr depart the Pit Stop first after receiving their clue telling them to fly to Delhi, India.  Once there, they’ll take a taxi to Moonlight Motors in Zamrudpur, Delhi for their next clue.  The siblings rush off to the travel agent where the teams must buy their tickets.

As Toni & Dallas leave the Pit Stop next, we find out there is some flirting going on between Dallas and Starr.  And he feels awkward with Nick and his mom around.

Ken & Tina are next and remind themselves that they have to get over their baggage and concentrate on the Race.  Kelly & Christy are only a few minutes behind them and they say they’re having more fun traveling together than they ever did with their ex-husbands.

Terence & Sarah are close behind, and they too want to stay away from tension that’s affected them so far in the Race.  Bringing up the rear, Andrew & Dan want to be less casual and realize if they don’t step it up, they’ll be done.

At the travel agent, Dallas & Starr continue their flirting, while we get foreshadowing of Ken feeling “helpless” and being annoyed by Tina’s over-control.The teams head to the airport and all of them take the same flight to Delhi, arriving at 4:15pm.

HOLY COWS (IN THE ROAD)
Teams arrive in India and rush to find taxis.  Nick & Starr get out first while Kelly & Christy are stopped by a seemingly unopenable glass door.  Ken & Tina and Toni & Dallas get going next, hoping their taxi driver knows where to go.  

In their taxi, Nick & Starr comment on Kelly & Christy’s short shorts and his advice to them to cover up, which they rebuffed because it was too hot.  They think the divorcees will fall to pieces.Andrew & Dan, Kelly & Christy, and Terence & Sarah are trailing.

In the midst of Indian traffic, the teams see cows in the middle of the road, opening up their opportunity to make their commentaries on their new destination.  No enlightening moments this time around though.  They used them up in Cambodia I suppose.

Ken & Tina begin having taxi trouble as no one knows where they need to go, while Tina insist she does know.  Nick & Starr, meanwhile, stumble upon their next clue, which  is a Road Block.

GOING GREEN

In this Road Block, teams will help India’s rickshaws go green, literally, by painting the lower black portions of tuk tuks green to represent their transition to natural gas. After they’ve adequately covered the top yellow part and the inside with newspaper, they can start painting and when done, will be handed their next clue.

Andrew & Dan arrive 2nd and Dan feels comfortable and not-threatened by Nick & Starr as Andrew and Starr begin the Road Block.

Ken & Tina are still lost, Terence & Sarah, equally lost, pass Kelly & Christy who have stopped for directions.  But the divorcees arrive after Toni & Dallas, who Starr is happy to help in any way.

Terence & Sarah arrive, while Ken & Tina make several stops for directions until they finally arrive at the autoshop.

With all the teams Road Block, it is all about who can get their rickshaws green as fast as possible.  Dallas encourages his mom, Terence gets on Sarah’s nerves, while Tina gives unsolicited pointers to an increasingly annoyed Ken.

Andrew & Dan get their “best finish ever” as they finish the Road Block first and are given their next clue.Teams must now make their way to the Ambassador Hotel, where they will search the garden for an Indian doorman for their next clue.

After getting a paint refill, Nick & Starr finish 2nd with Toni & Dallas 3rd.  Both teams get a taxi before Andrew & Dan.Ken & Tina jump to 4th while Kelly & Christy finish 5th leaving Terence & Sarah in last.

INDIAN LAUNDERING

At the Ambassador Hotel, teams receive their Detour. In this Detour, teams must choose between two traditional ways of doings things in India, Launder Money or Launder Clothes. In Launder Money, teams must make their way to a wedding hall and decorate a necklace with exactly 10 rupee notes adding up to 780 rupees.  Teams will have to find change and use their own cash to get the right combination of notes.  Then, they’ll take the necklace and find one of the waiting grooms who will hand them their next clue. In Launder Clothes, teams make their way to a laundry shop where they will choose an ironing station and iron 20 articles of clothing using a traditional charcoal iron.  When the laundrywoman approves, she’ll hand them their clue.

Nick & Starr and Toni & Dallas arrive 1st and 2nd and choose the clothes.  Ken & Tina are lost once again, and Andrew & Dan finally get to the hotel with Kelly & Christy right behind them both also choosing the clothes.

Terence & Sarah meanwhile finally finish at the Road Block and are on their way.  Ken & Tina look for another taxi.  Both teams eventually choose the money.

At the Detour, Nick & Starr find the iron is very hot and pluck gloves from their backpacks and start ironing.  Cab luck benefits Kelly & Christy who arrive there next while Toni & Dallas and Andrew & Dan arrive 3rd and 4th respectively after not benefitting from the other kind of cab luck.

With no gloves stashed away in their backpacks, the other teams have to either grit their teeth or use other pieces of clothes to hold their irons as they get going with the Detour.At the wedding party (complete with elephants), Terence & Sarah and Ken & Tina search through the crowd and on the street for change for their necklace.  Sarah denies a kiss to a local after they get their change.

A MOB AND A GUST TO THE PIT STOP
At the irons, the newly minted Dandrew (thanks divorcees) manage to find something to complain about every few minutes as Nick & Starr get through their pile first and are of to the Pit Stop, Baha’i House, the national headquarters for the Baha’i Faith.
They finish first and each win an environmentally friendly electric car.

Kelly & Christy take off to the Pit Stop and in their best showing yet take 2nd.  Toni & Dallas end up in 3rd with Dallas making an astute observation of the insanity of the woman’s pot of fire on her head.

With three teams comfortably at the Pit Stop, the other three seem to be in the midst of chaos.
At the wedding, with their necklaces in hand, Terence & Sarah and Ken & Tina push and shove their way through a throng of people at the reception, looking for one of the grooms who are actually sitting at the back of the hall with their brides. 
Dandrew at the ironing are not getting off easy with laundrywoman as she shakes her head at their “finished” clothes, which at one point flies off the table when a strong gust of wind comes passing through.

Terence & Sarah and Ken & Tina are handed their clues.  Terence & Sarah are off to the Pit Stop and finish 4th, but Ken & Tina are chased by dogs looking for a taxi. Meanwhile a very jolly[/sarcasm] Dandrew finally finish their chores and head off as well.

Ken & Tina’s luck with cabs this leg kicks in, allowing Dandrew to slip into 5th.  

The separated parents arrive last, but Phil has good news, it’s the first non-elimination leg of the Race.  He tells Ken & Tina about their Speed Bump next leg and the Race goes on with an emotional Ken & Tina closing out our episode.

Overall
Overall, it was another great episode.  While not as edge of your seat thrilling as the last few, it still had some exciting moments.

The teams again stayed close together without pesky Hours of Operations forcing them to do so.  The natural equalizer of airplane flights has been the only thing that’s bunched up the teams, otherwise they really are Racing neck and neck throughout the entire leg.

And the episode proved that anyone can be last if you don’t step up your game.  With everything so close as it is (teams departing within a little more than an hour of each other from the Pit Stop!), teams must realize that they are all in danger of being eliminated regardless of where you finished last leg.

The ironing was a nice way to bring back Indian laundry to the Race, while it is always fun to see an Indian wedding incorporated as well, especially when elephants are involved.

Speaking of, teams haven’t had any animal encounters yet this Race, save for Ken & Tina being chased by dogs.  Hopefully they do get some animal interaction, they’re usually some of the funnest (or is it funniest?) moments of the entire Race.

The non-elimination wasn’t a big surprise.
And it looks like the drama kicks in next week.  Can’t wait!