Recap: The Amazing Race 15, Episode 9 – We’re Not Meant for the Swamp

Episode 15.09 – We’re Not Meant for the Swamp!
Miss the episode or want to watch it again?  Download the episode now on The Amazing Race - The Amazing Race, Season 15

THE LEG
The 9th leg of The Amazing Race is about to begin.  Phil reminds us the last Pit Stop was in Sweden, the birthplace of dynamite, the Nobel Peace Prize, and… ABBA!

The leg gets underway as the Globetrotters are the first to leave at 2 in the morning.  Teams will cross the Baltic Sea on a ferry to Tallinn, Estonia.  There, they will have to find Mustpeade, the secret building of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads.  Using the keys given to them at the Mat, teams will have to find the right key to open the door and find their clue inside.

The Globetrotters head to the ferry terminal and find out the first boat to Tallinn leaves at 17:45 or 5:45pm later in the day.  That allows all the other teams to catch up to them.  The Globetrotters sleep in their Mercedes as the other teams arrive one by one at the terminal.

They board the ferry, settle into their overnight sleepers and float towards Tallinn.  The sun rises and the teams arrive, ready to Race.  They run out into the terminal and rush to find taxis.

Meghan & Cheyne and Sam & Dan arrive first at Mustpeade.  Cheyne tries his keys but nothing happens until Dan tries one of his.  An alarm sounds and the door opens just as Brian & Ericka get out of their taxi and run.  The first two teams close the door before Brian & Ericka can get in.


Inside, the teams find the Road Block.  Phil explains the Brotherhood of the Blackheads is a secret society of merchants that has existed in Estonia for at least 600 years.  In this Road Block, teams will join the ranks of the Brotherhood to uncover a mystery.  Teams will descend into the cellar and find a candelabra with a room number attached.  They must find the room where they will then be given what appears to be a blank piece of paper.  They will have to figure out that they must hold the paper over the candle to reveal their next clue.  

Sam and Cheyne decide to do the Road Block. 


Outside, Ericka is at work with the keys as Gary & Matt arrive and see the Speed Bump, “It’s time to sweat the small stuff.”  For their Speed Bump, Gary & Matt must find a Saunabuss and take a 5 minute sauna with Estonian strangers.  Afterwards, they can get their next clue. 

Gary & Matt run to the Saunabuss, strip, and get into the sauna with a couple and a pretty Estonian girl.  Matt is uncomfortable next to the Estonian girl, she was very pretty.  Gary tells stories of Minnesota.

The Globetrotters arrive at Mustpeade just as Ericka opens the door and the head in.  Ericka and Flight Time decide to do the Road Block and head down to the cellar to get their candelabra.  They head back upstairs to find the room and Flight Time finds it first.  He goes inside to find a man there with a scroll.  He thinks there’s a crayon attached so he starts scraping at the paper with it in the hopes of revealing the secret message.  He doesn’t see anything and lays it on the piano.  The cameraman sees it though, very easily in fact.

Cheyne finds his room and “immediately” knows to hold it up to the light.  Ericka does the same as Sam finds his room as well.

Both Cheyne and Ericka discover the clue at the same time, Pikk Hermann Tower Garden, and they head off.  Gary & Matt finish their Speed Bump and go inside the Mustpeade.  Matt chooses to do the Road Block and goes down to the cellar, but he has no idea what a candelabra is.

Sam finally sees the clue… “Pikk Hermann Tover Garden”.  And Flight Time finally figure his out as well.  They are off, leaving Gary & Matt.  Matt asks a minstrel player or something if he’s a candelabra.  He gives him a funny look.  Matt realizes, hmm, maybe it’s a candle and sees the one on the table.  He takes it and goes.


Brian & Ericka and Meghan & Cheyne find the tower and their next clue, the Detour.
In this Detour, teams will make their way to the bogs of Estonia.
In Serve, teams will play volleyball in the mud against a local team, in their underwear, and they will have to score 5 points to get their next clue.
In Sling, teams will ground themselves in the bogs and fire assorted vegetables at a moose target which will make the table collapse, letting the cabbages and their clue fall to the ground.

Both teams choose Serve.  They continue running side by side and both see a taxi up ahead, but Brian lets Meghan & Cheyne have it.  Cheyne (I think) asks the taxi driver to call for another one.  Ericka is surprised Brian actually gives up the taxi to them, his heart of gold strikes again!  Meghan & Cheyne tell their driver to hurry, but he asks, what about the other guys? “No!” Cheyne says.  “Just go!  We don’t care about the other team!  Forget about the other taxi. Just forget the other taxi.” Meghan exclaims.
Meanwhile, the Globetrotters stay on Sam & Dan’s collective ass all the way to the garden and the clue.  Both teams also choose Serve and rush to find a taxi.  Sam & Dan find a taxi with someone in it and they asks if they can have the taxi, but she says she can’t walk. 

A taxi van comes right behind and both teams run to it.  Both teams get in.  Sam & Dan are frustrated the Globetrotters have stayed on their asses, now literally.

Matt sees Pikk Hermann Tower and they run to find the tower, not realizing they have to find the garden.  They run around the tower, trying to find a way in.

The Globetrotters follow Sam & Dan to the clue and both teams choose Serve too.
Gary & Matt finally find the cluebox and choose the slingshot.  They get in a taxi who actually calls the taxi driver of Meghan & Cheyne, possibly asking where the place is.  Meghan & Cheyne’s driver tells the guy he doesn’t know.  Meghan & Cheyne are happy lucky kids.

They arrive at the Detour and they strip, choose a pair and start playing.  They score points pretty quickly but have trouble finishing as the Globetrotters and Sam & Dan catch up to Brian & Ericka arriving at the Detour.   The three teams cannot find the marked path and run all over the place into the forest.  This gives Meghan & Cheyne lots of time to finish and get their next clue.

Teams must now run through the bogs to Keava Raba Overlook Tower for this leg’s Pit Stop.
Meghan & Cheyne finish first again.  They win a red cedar sauna.

The three teams finally find the marked path.  The Globetrotters think the Estonians will be scared of two big black, good looking, athletic guys and Sam & Dan appreciate the “hottie Estonian guys.”  Since there’s only two courts available, Brian & Ericka decide they might as well start the Sling Detour.

Sam & Dan’s crotches are blurred, but that doesn’t help them score any points.  The Globetrotters aren’t doing so well either.  Gary & Matt, meanwhile are still a ways away from the bogs.

Brian & Ericka continue to work on the slighshots while it seems as if the hottie Estonians are just letting the two teams win now.  The Globetrotters finish first, but take their time putting their clothes back on and then walking the wrong way.  Sam & Dan finish and head off in the right direction before the Globetrotters realize it.  They chase after the brothers.

On the pathway, something happens and Flight Time and Dan go down.  “That’s messed up,” the Globetrotters say.  Sam & Dan arrive at the Mat and Phil waits for the Globetrotters to arrive before officially checking them in 2nd and 3rd respectively.  Phil says “Big Easy looks like he’s ready to kick some butt right now.”  They each give their own version of the story, both teams know its awn.

Brian & Ericka finish up the Detour and slog through the mud back to the path and make their way to Phil and the Mat.  They officially finish 4th.

And finally, Gary & Matt do the slingshots as well and make their way to the Mat where they are Eliminated.

OVERALL
This was an unusually quick leg I thought.  It went by very fast.  Not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, because it was, but definitely not the strongest episode of the season for sure.

Sad to see Gary & Matt go though.  But like is always said, little mistakes can cost you.

I just realized three more episodes left!  Next week is probably the final non-elimination leg and then we have the last two after that!  

Leg Nine Itinerary
DEPARTURE
Bögs Gård Farm
Häggvik, Sollentuna, Sweden

DESTINATION CITY
Tallinn, Estona

ROAD BLOCK
Mustpeade Maja
Tallinn

SPEED BUMP
Saunabuss
Tallinn

ROUTE MARKERS
Pikk Hermann Tower Garden
Tallinn

DETOUR & PIT STOP
Keava Raba and Outlook Tower
Rapla County, Estonia

Leg 9 Departure Times
Bögs Gård Farm
Häggvik, Sollentuna, Sweden

Flight Time & Big Easy 2:23am
Meghan & Cheyne 4:12am
Brian & Ericka 4:37am
Sam & Dan 5:04am
Gary & Matt 6:29am 

Who Did the Detour?
In order of completion

SERVE


SLING

Road Block Count

In order of completion; Italics indicate who did this week’s Road Block
Who Can Solve a Medieval Mystery?
4 Meghan Cheyne 4
5 Brian Ericka 4
6 Sam Dan 3
5 Herbert Nathaniel 4
4 Gary Matt 5

2 Maria Tiffany 4
1 Mika Canaan 5
3 Lance Keri 2
2 Zev Justin 2
1 Marcy Ronald 2
1 Garrett Jessica 1
0 Eric Lisa 0

Leg 9 Order of Finish
1st Meghan & Cheyne
2nd Sam & Dan
3rd Flight Time & Big Easy
4th Brian & Ericka
Eliminated Gary & Matt

My Team Rankings for Leg 9

Brian & Ericka Brian & Ericka –  After Gary & Matt’s Philimination, Brian & Ericka are now my favorite team to win.  I hope they can get out of their perpetual middle/back of the pack standing to get themselves into the final 3.  They have two legs to step it up, I hope they do.
Gary & Matt Gary & Matt – They ran a respectable Race.  A good team with a great relationship, it is always nice to have a parent-child team on the Race.  Sad to see them go, but congrats to them on making it this far.
Herbert & Nathaniel Herbert & Nathaniel – Again, strong and fun.  A  good combination, but the little things is what’s going to get them if they don’t look out.  Their strength and positive energy have made up for their little missteps along the way, but luck can only go so far. 
Sam & Dan Sam & Dan – It’s probably expected that they will make the final 3 and they’ve done pretty well save for the yelling at each other.    
Meghan & Cheyne Meghan & Cheyne –  They are dominating, no question.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they won the whole Race.  Excited about it? No.  Not surprised? Definitely.  They’re just not an exciting team for me.  They’re likeable most of the time (read: Meghan’s bitching), but I just can’t get excited about them.
Quotes from Episode 15.09
🙁

Episode Caps

750+ episode caps from Leg 9 now online at xangatheamazingracecaps2

Share your thoughts!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top