Recap: The Amazing Race 14, Episode 3 – “I’m not wearing that girl’s leotard!”

Episode 14.03: I’m Not Wearing That Girl’s Leotard!

Getting Off on the Wrong Foot Flight
After beginning the episode with an extended team-by-team recap of the first two legs as well as a preview for Tammy & Victor’s painful day, we begin the leg with the siblings getting the clue telling them to take a train to Munich and then a plane to Bucharest, Romania.

Once in Romania, teams must then make their way to a gymnastics hall where Olympian Nadia Comaneci once trained, for their next clue.

 

Setting off, the sibling tension begins as Tammy relates how Victor hates to be wrong.  He insists they go make plane reservations before going to the train station and find that there are two flights they can take in the afternoon.  A Lufthansa flight at 3:20pm (which is full) and a Tarom flight at 4:45pm.  They go standby and head to the airport where they do get seats on that first flight.  They take off.

The rest of the teams leave the Pit Stop. Mel talks about “School of Rock” Mike’s success in Hollywood and Luke relates that he doesn’t want to always rely on his mom to communicate.  Brad & Victoria talk about what they’ve been through, namely Brad being an addict and an alcoholic, though he’s been sober for 25 years.

Amanda & Kris meet a man on the train who helps make a reservation for them on the 4:45pm flight, which will cut it close with only a 30 minute window from the train station to the airport.  Meanwhile, a family is helping Brad & Victoria who say they have no way of making the 4:45pm flight.   They “buy” it and decide not to even try it.  They decide on a 9:30pm flight.

As Mel & Mike, Margie & Luke, and Kris & Amanda make the 4:45pm flight, Tammy & Victor’s plane is turned back to Munich due to technical problems.  They miss the 4:45 and have to wait for the 9:45.
Brad & Victoria, at the airport, do some digging and learn there is a 7:30 KLM flight through Amsterdam.  They take it.

The rest of the teams are shocked to see Tammy & Victor waiting for the 9:45 flight with them.  In Amsterdam, Brad & Victoria are delayed and miss their connecting flight.  Because of fog, there are no more flights that night and they have to wait until 9:15 the next morning.

Brad & Victoria land in Amsterdam, but miss their connecting flight.  Because of fog, there are no more flights that night.9:15 am


Pardon me boy…
In Bucharest, Kris & Amanda arrive first at the cluebox to find the Road Block.  In this Road Block, teams will have to complete three events of gymnastics, a sport that Romania is famous for; the balance beam, parallel bars, and floor exercise.  Once they complete the events, they’ll get their next clue.

As Margie and Mike start the Road Block.  Amanda flies through it and she and Kris get their next clue (complete with Young Frankenstein reference… “Pardon me boy, you need Transylvania sation.”)  telling them to travel to Brasov in the region of Transylvania.   Once there, they will make their way to the Biserica Neagra, the black church for their next clue.

Margie and Mike are close behind and they learn the train to Brasov leaves at 6:30 in the morning.

The next group of teams arrive and they head to the Sala Gymnastica.
Tammy & Victor, meanwhile, fall behind getting to the facility when they get off far from the place and even more when Tammy can not concentrate on the Road Block.  Tammy gets emotional talking about Victor’s reluctance to hear out any ideas she may have.

All the teams save for Brad & Victoria complete the Road Block and are on the morning train to Transylvania.


At the church, teams find their next clue, a Detour.
In this Detour, teams have to choose between Gypsy Moves or Vampire Remains.
In Gypsy Moves, teams make their way to a gypsy settlement where they will help a family move by loading all their belongings on a cart and then navigating it to their new encampment where they will unload all of the stuff to get their next clue.
In Vampire Remains, teams makes their way to Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle where they will pull a coffin down a hill to a clearing filled with stakes.  They must unlock a series of locks and chains to open it.  Inside, there are a number of antique frames which, “in the spirit of Vlad the Impaler,” they must impale on the stakes until they find a flag inside.  They’ll then take the flag to the ominous hooded figure for their next clue.

Fun with Gypsies!
Kris & Amanda and Mel & Mike are the first ones to arrive at the gypsies.  They both hurry through the boatcartload of stuff.  When they finish, Kris & Amanda realize they don’t have their fanny pack (oh no! bad memories of Toni & Dallas resurface =( ).  They go looking as Mel & Mike pass them to leave the  gypsies and head to the next Pit Stop at Vila Panoramic, a small inn overlooking Bran Castle.

Mel & Mike arrive at the Mat and are excited to be 1st.  Kris & Amanda settle for 2nd.

Meanwhile, Tammy & Victor and Christie & Jodi arrive at the Vampire Road Block.  Looking for a marked path, the siblings begin a hike uphill, Victor noticing red and white markings on the trees insisting they are route markers much to Tammy’s uncertainty.  Christie & Jodi meanwhile find the red and yellow arrows and follow them all the way to a hillside of coffins.  They drag one down just as Margie & Luke and Jaime & Cara catch up to them.

We check in with Brad & Victoria’s progress as they just finish the Road Block.

Fun with Blood!
At the impaling sticks, the teams begin to search through the antique frames which surprise! are filled with blood (Awesome!).  Tammy & Victor meanwhile get themselves even deeper off track.  Victor insists he feels this is the right way, Tammy questions why they have to follow his gut.

Meanwhile, Kisha & Jen aren’t letting their sibling tension from last leg affect them as they finish at the gypsies with Mark & Michael close behind.  As blood streams down the impaling sticks, Margie finds the flag and they head off as well.
Up the mountain, Victor finally gives up and says they can go back if Tammy wants to.  They do.

At the Pit Stop, Kisha & Jen come in 3rd with Margie & Luke 4th.
Mark & Michael run past Christie & Jodi to take 5th while the flight attendants avoid the Dandrew and move up to 6th.
Jaime & Cara follow in 7th.

The End of a Not Fun Long Leg
Two teams left, as Brad & Victoria are on the train to Brasov.
Tammy & Victor finally get their coffin to the clearing (with Victor seemingly taking out all his frustration on dragging the coffin down by himself).

When they begin unlocking it, they find there is no key in the first lock, the key they need to unlock the 2nd which unlocks the 3rd key for the last lock.  They realize it must’ve broken off and now they have to search their entire path up the hill.

A needle in a haystack or a key in a forest, Victor manages to find it in the grass and they get to finishing this long, long leg they’ve had.

At the Mat, Phil doesn’t make it any easier welcoming them with “I’m sorry to tell you… you’re the, second to last team to arrive.”  (Thanks Phil!)
Victor admits the older brother/younger sister dynamic doesn’t work in this Race (Jen & Kisha realized that last leg).  And Tammy says she needs to speak up more, even if it means hurting his feelings as long as she knows she’s right.

Night falls and a completely bloody from head to toe Brad & Victoria (huh?) arrive at the Mat and are Philiminated.

Overall
I think this was a greatly balanced leg.  We had legitimate airport drama, a team meltdown thanks to Tammy & Victor, and three great tasks, not to mention live gypsy music serving as the musical score for a lot of the episode.

It was painful seeing Tammy & Victor just break down this whole leg.  On the other hand, all the teams were neck and neck which allowed a few bottom half teams to move up.  If it weren’t for Brad & Victoria’s flight being delayed or even the fog, Tammy & Victor might very well have been the one’s eliminated.

I never thought I’d see The Amazing Race hanging with gypsies, but then again they’ve already hung around the Amish and their runaway carts in TAR8.

And what about those streams of blood.  Probably one of the best details in a Detour ever.  That looked like fun… unless you hiked up a mountain.

Keep it up TAR14!

Leg Three Itinerary
DEPARTURE
Schloss Hellbrunn
Salzburg, Austria

CASH
$332

STOPOVER CITY
Munich, Germany

DESTINATION CITY
Bucharest, Romania

ROAD BLOCK
Complexul Sportiv National
Bucharest

ROUTE MARKERS
Biserica Neagra
Braşov , Transylvania

DETOUR
Râşnov, Transylvania
Bran Castle, outside Braşov

PIT STOP
Vila Panoramic
Bran Castle, Braşov, Romania

Departure Times
Stechelberg, Switzerland
Tammy & Victor 10:13am
Mel & Mike 12:01pm
Amanda & Kris 12:12pm
Margie & Luke 12:30pm
Brad & Victoria 12:53pm
Jaime & Cara 1:17pm
Kisha & Jen 1:51pm
Mark & Michael 2:00pm
Christie & Jodi 2:42pm

Who Did the Detour?

GYPSY MOVES



VAMPIRE REMAINS




Road Block Count

In order of completion; Italics indicate who did this week’s Road Block
Who’s ready to access their inner Nadia?
1 Amanda Kris 2
1 Luke Margie 2
1 Mel Mike 2
1 Christie Jodi 2
2 Kisha Jen 1
2 Mark Michael 1
2 Cara Jaime 1
2 Tammy Victor 1
0 Brad Victoria 3
1 Linda Steve 1
1 Preston Jennifer 0

Order of Finish
Mel & Mike 1st
Amanda & Kris 2nd
Kisha & Jen 3rd
Margie & Luke 4th
Mark & Michael 5th
Christie & Jodi 6th
Cara & Jaime 7th
Tammy & Victor 8th
Brad & Victoria  Eliminated

My Team Rankings for Leg 3
Amanda & Kris Amanda & Kris – They were a lost fanny pack away from 1st place.  They had a good enough leg, hopefully they can keep it up.
Margie & Luke Margie & Like – Not much from them this leg, but they’re definitely not showing signs of slowing down.
Mel & Mike Mel & Mike – Great first place win for them.  Though it was a close leg for the teams, Mel’s injury is still hard for the team, but they made it through and look great moving forward.
Cara & Jaime Cara & Jaime – Not a particularly good leg for them, and I hope they don’t become too reliant on their friendship with Margie & Luke. 
Tammy & Victor Tammy & Victor – Oh boy.  It was painful seeing them this leg.  Painful seeing Victor’s insistence.  Painful seeing Tammy have to deal with being the “younger sister.”  Painful just seeing them climb up the mountain AND lose the key!  And I thought Jen & Kisha’d be the ones continuing the sibling problems.  Hopefully they get it together..
Lakisha & Jennifer Kisha & Jen – Well, we saw a little bit of continuation from last leg at the beginning of the episode, but I guess there’s room for only one sibling relationship crisis per leg and Tammy & Victor certainly took care of that.  They managed to move up as well. They should definitely keep that up. 
Christie & Jodi Christie & Jodi – Well, the Dandrew streak is broken… for now.  (Thank goodness!)  Hopefully they can keep that momentum going. 
Mark & Michael Mark & Michael – Not much from them this leg either.  They’re still in it though.
Brad & Victoria Brad & Victoria –  Well, the kick-ass older couple were done in by a bad flight.  It’s too bad we didn’t get to see that kick-ass-ness that they talked about.  And it seemed out of nowhere, Brad’s addiction admission.  I guess it was interesting, but since they didn’t make it far, it was no use needing to introduce it at the beginning.   Best of luck to them.
Quotes from Episode 14.03
Exciting leg, but not quote-friendly

Luke: “I’m not wearing that girl’s leotard!”

Cara: “Do you not understand what he’s saying?  You’re speaking the  same language, you don’t understand what he’s saying?”

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