Recap: The Amazing Race 12, Episode 8 – “It’s a hernia buster.”



EPISODE 12-08: HONESTLY, THEY HAVE WITCH POWERS OR SOMETHING

The craziest leg so far this season, and probably one of the most hectic legs ever. Definitely non-stop excitement the entire episode.

The Leg
Leaving Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy, teams find out their next destination is Mumbai, India.
Looks like the teams were definitely all over the place last week as their departure times were almost an hour apart from each other.

Nicolas & Donald and Ronald & Christina purchase/reserve tickets before heading to the airport.
As Team Gramps head to a hotel for some sleep, the rest of the teams head to the airport and wait for it to open at 4:30am, at which time Jen pushes past TK & Rachel to find out ticketing doesn’t open until 5:30.

The other teams look on as Nic & Don and Ron & Chris get in line at the check-in for Air France for a flight that will get them into Mumbai at 10:35pm. The Goths find a flight that arrives at 1am.
Nate & Jen manage tickets on the 10:35 flight, but Kynt & Vyxsin have to settle for 10:50 while TK & Rachel take a flight arriving at 1am. Kynt & Vyxsin put on a little performance for TK & Rachel.

The first three teams are delayed in Paris and Kynt & Vyxsin arrive at 10:30pm. The three eventually arrive 35 minutes later.

All the teams get to Mumbai but Hours of Operation strike for the first significant time this season as the teams wait for the newspaper stand to open at 6am. Here they need to buy a copy of the Times of India (Tuesday, July 24, 2007 edition!) to find their next clue in a small corner ad.

That little clue tells the teams to travel by rickshaw to Chauhan Alteration Tailors where the shop owner will give them their next clue.

Kynt & Vyxsin find it first followed by Ronald & Christina, TK & Rachel, and Nic & Donald. Nate & Jen have trouble with a pesky dog distracting them the entire time.

The constant place changing in the episode is just getting started as Nic & Donald arrive at the tailor’s first where they find the Speed Bump and the Detour.


In this Detour, teams have to choose between Paste ‘Em or Thread ‘Em.
In Paste ‘Em, teams must use the provided supplies to properly paste a 6 panel Bollywood movie poster onto the wall.
In Thread ‘Em, they must create a traditional wedding garland made of 108 flowers in alternating colors and then deliver it to a bridegroom nearby.

They and Ron & Chris choose Paste ‘Em. TK & Rachel do Thread ‘Em, as does Nate & Jen after finally finding the clue later.
Kynt & Vyxsin find their Speed Bump, where they must perform a series of complex yoga poses. Afterwards they choose Thread ‘Em.

Ron & Chris, who arrived at the Detour first, are having trouble in a series of unfortunate events, which allows Nic & Don to pass them and move into 1st. They find out they must travel to Kabutar Khana for their next clue and the 2nd U-Turn of the Race.

Ron & Chris mess up one piece, and while in fairness to them, the guy did say the rest was okay at first, everything got messed up when they had to shift the one piece.

TK & Rachel finish their Detour and get to the clue first. Meanwhile, Ron & Chris catch up to Nicolas & Donald. The clue tells them to go to a propane gas depot, Bharatgas Colaba Gas Service for their next clue, a Road Block.

In this Road Block, they must load carts with 6 tanks of propane gas and deliver three tanks to two addresses where they must take a receipt and take both the order slips and the receipts back to the Bharatgas.

With TK & Rachel in traffic they arrive 3rd after Nicolas & Donald (who are 1st) and Ronald & Christina. Nicolas, TK, and Ronald do the Road Block.

Back at the flowers, Nate & Jen finally finish and are confused as to whom they give the garland to, eventually finding out they do not just hold their arms out or give it to an elephant. Kynt & Vyxsin are right behind them and they both head to the next clue.

There, Kynt & Vyxsin decide to exercise the U-Turn and conclude that Nicolas & Donald are behind them. Nate & Jen, who were going to U-Turn Kynt & Vyxsin are relieved, and frankly surprised.

At the Road Block, Ronald tries to get some local help from a man who says he’d guide him, but instead wanted a ride around the block. Nicolas, meanwhile, is having a hard time with the tanks as TK forces three at a time up the stairs.


TK finishes first, and he and Rachel head to the Pit Stop, Bandra Fort. Nicolas is next and they are on their way, but Nic is feeling like he’s going to pass out. They pull over for him to throw up, but take 2nd.
Meanwhile, Ronald & Christina are 3rd done and 3rd for the leg.

Now it’s a Race between Kynt & Vyxsin and Nathan & Jennifer.
Kynt and Jen decide to do the Road Block, and Vyxsin realizes their U-Turn mistake.

Kynt crashes into things before finding out where the break is, while Jen delivers her first batch of tanks but doesn’t take her receipt.

Kynt and Jen meet up at one of the addresses, and Kynt loads the elevator first with Jen left in the lobby to wait. With Kynt on the 2nd floor, Jen decides to wait instead of lugging the tanks to her address on the 5th floor, but the gate is open on the 2nd, so she can’t use the elevator.

When yelling for someone to close the door doesn’t work, Jen runs up to the 2nd floor to close it herself so she can complete her final delivery. The kind lady asks “You forget something?” and Jen realizes her mistake.
Meanwhile, Kynt makes his own mistake by leaving the order slip with the customers.

Nate & Jen get wrong info and run to the Pit Stop going on directions given to them, but they find a dead end and the frustration sets in. Kynt runs back to his deliveries to get the slips back before getting the clue.

Eventually, Nathan & Jennifer are the final team in the final 4, while Kynt & Vyxsin are Philiminated.


The Teams
Sad to see Kynt & Vyxsin go. They started off very strong, especially because of Vyxsin who might be one of the toughest female racers in a while. They overcame the Speed Bump, but other bad luck and costly mistakes ended the Race for them. I was definitely weary of their potentially annoying gimmick early on, but they grew on me and definitely deserved to be in the Final 4.

I’d definitely swap them in for TK & Rachel who continues to rub me the wrong way. I don’t see how they can’t be cool, calm, and collected, yet still be worthwhile Racers who aren’t boring and might as well be invisible. One must only look to Races past to see nice, non-bickering couples who were still fun and interesting to watch.

I am still convinced Nathan & Jennifer are more comic relief than annoying couple. They realize they are annoying and as evidenced by their little flower back and forth, their arguments are comprised more of comebacks, which is an art form in and of itself. Plus their “Gosh” and “God bless it”s still kill me.

Nicolas & Donald seem to be rolling along. I still don’t think they’ve stepped it up enough to win, but they’ve stepped it up enough to get by each leg at least.

And Ronald & Christina… Ronald acknowledged his shortcomings and big mouth both before and after the leg, so I can accept the heat of the moment frustration setting in. Still, the Race will be a good way for them to strengthen their relationship, and hopefully get them all way to the Finish Line.


Overall
My favorite episode of the season so far, despite the elimination. Nonstop, edge of your seat action, with every team battling their own hurdles throughout the leg.

The Speed Bump is a good non-elimination penalty. Better than the taking away of money and belongings, and better than waiting 30 minutes at the mat since it at least gives the teams something to do and shows us a lot more of the destination they are at in that week.

Plus, I like the U-Turn and the Yield, as long as they are used in the right way. Of course it would be nice to see a team you hate get slapped with one of those, but if a team is fighting in last place (like Shana & Jennifer and Kynt & Vyxsin were), using the U-Turn is a fair way to get yourself some breathing room, since using it does not mean guaranteed safety. Just like a Fast Forward does not guarantee 1st.

Seems like India has always been a great setting for awesome TAR episodes. Jen’s elephant encounter reminded me of Queen Gretchen’s ride atop a “bad elephant” in TAR7, with poor Meredith pushing it all the way through.

Awesome season so far.


The random editing hilarity of the episode…
-After Kynt’s comment about Vyxsin’s contorting, they cut to the Yogi watching her intently.
-In the taxi after the Detour, a still Ronald says “Let’s take it one step at a time,” and then flicks his arm up to fill ‘er up with water.
-Nate and Jen’s various reactions throughout the episode to each other and their various dillemas, especially their comeback-filled discussion at the flower Detour.

QUOTES FROM EPISODE 12-08

Ronald: “We are excited to come to this lovely city of the Renaissance. We hope that this is the Renaissance of me, of a new man, to make my daughter feel proud.”

Jennifer: “Oh my FREAKING gosh!”

Ronald: “Don’t be so cheap with the paste!”

Kynt: “The moves were getting harder and harder, but hey, any chance to see Vyxsin twisting, turning, and contorting her body was always a highlight for me, and I think was a highlight for the instructor as well.”

Jennifer: “Who knows, [Kynt & Vyxsin] could’ve already been done with the speed bump. They have some kind of supernatural powers or something.”

Christina: “I was trying to give you a stool!”
Ronald: “Yeah, but it busted!”

Kynt: “Vyxsin, look how dark the interior of our cab is.”
Vyxsin: “I know, it’s very cozy, its like being in a coffin.”

Nathan: *picks up the completed part of the garland* “Look at this, what is that?!? That is terrible!”
Jennifer: *waves it off* “I don’t know, I didn’t even mean to do that.”
Nathan: “I don’t understand how you can’t do this Jen, you’re a girl.”
Jennifer: “I didn’t understand how you couldn’t row a boat. You’re a guy.”
Nathan: “Jen! You know me, every guy rows boats every day.”
Jennifer: “Well you know me, you don’t see me sewing every day.”

Jennifer: “Anytime you do a low blow to me, I’ll do a low blow right back to you.”
Nathan: “Exactly, exactly. That’s how you work.”
Jennifer: “You don’t have to bring up my freakin’ sexuality that I’m a girl do you?”
Nathan: “Saying you can’t thread a needle, that’s such a low blow isn’t it?”
Jennifer: “The tone of your voice is making me absolutely sick.”

Nicolas: “Carrying and navigating is my forte with this team.”
Donald: “And I handle little stuff and try to look good as I’m doing it.”

Ronald: “It’s a hernia buster.”

Nathan: “How could Kynt & Vyxsin, like…”
Jennifer: “Honestly, they have witch powers or something…”

Phil: “Well, I would have to give you the award for the Most Fashionable Couple ever on The Amazing Race.”
Kynt: “YES!! At least we won something.”
Vyxsin: “Yay! We won something.”

NICOLAS & DONALD

10:12pm

NATHAN & JENNIFER

11:55pm

RONALD & CHRISTINA

1:06am

TK & RACHEL

2:11am

KYNT & VYXSIN

3:23am

EPISODE CAPS UP NOW! @
Photobucket: XangaTheAmazingRaceCaps – Episode 8


Wishing you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

TEAM RANKINGS FOR EPISODE 12-08
1. Ronald & Christina
2. Nathan & Jennifer
2. Nicolas & Donald
2. Kynt & Vyxsin
5. Rachel & TK

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