Recap: The Amazing Race 17, Episode 10 – “We did suck it out.”

Episode 17.10 – I Hate Chinese Food

 

The leg begins and teams must make their way to Hong Kong where they’ll take a bus and ferry to Cheung Chau Island and find the Cheun Po Tsai Cave for their next clue. 

At the airport, as the teams are checking in, Brook & Claire and Jill & Thomas come face to face for the first time since the U-Turn.  And B&C are the first U-Turned team to stay in the Race.  They ask the couple what their logic was in U-Turning them and they shake hands in the spirit of good competition. 

Once in Hong Kong, Jill & Thomas catch the first bus to the ferry, but Brook & Claire and Nat & Kat manage to catch the same ferry.  Vicki’s asthma slows her down though and she and Nick miss it.  He is very upset, she starts crying.

At Cheung Chau Island, the first three teams find the next clue directing them to Majesty Chinese Restaurant in Kowloon.

Brook & Claire have a little spat on the way back, but Nick is just very upset, still, and frustrated.  Vicki tries to get him to be positive to no success.

Nat & Kat get to the restaurant first and find the Road Block, along with two karaoke leaders and tables filled with very excited patrons.


In this Road Block, teams will have to search through a table full of food for five pieces which are fake and made of plastic and normally used as window displays for restaurants.  When they find the fake food, they can exchange it for a clue.  However, teams will have to eat every piece of food they touch until they find the fake one.

 

Nat goes to do the Road Block and the female karaoke singer starts grinding on Kat.  Jill & Thomas and Brook & Claire arrive soon after and they all start eating… and dancing.

Nat finds the fake food and the doctors get the next clue telling them to head to Avenue of the Stars and Enter the Dragon.  They’ll find their next clue next to the statue in tribute of Bruce Lee.


Nat & Kat get to the clue and find the Detour.
In Ding Ding, teams will board a hundred year old tram system known as the Ding Ding and try and spot three different signs (“Pit Stop,” “Statue,” and “Square”).  When they find the answer, they can disembark and move on.  But if they don’t see the signs, they’ll have to ride the route again.
In Sampan, teams pick-up a wooden cage of two parakeets and board a sampan.  Heading out into Aberdeen Harbor, teams must search the boats and match the registration number on them to the number on the birdcage.  Teams can then trade the birds for the Pit Stop.

 

Nat & Kat choose Sampan and it isn’t very easy, especially in the dark.  Jill & Thomas do the Ding Ding, but they miss all the signs.  Back at the restaurant, Vicki isn’t excited about all this raw seafood.  And Claire just can’t stomach anymore until she runs to the restroom to throw up.

She heads back out and finally finds the fakeout.  The restaurant erupts in cheers and applause and Brook & Claire do happy dances.  They head out, leaving Nick & Vicki frustrated some more.  Vicki gets sick herself and runs to the restroom.  Nick comes and encouragingly wants to quit.

Jill & Thomas decide to switch Detours and run into Nat & Kat in the harbor.  The couple ends up finding their boat first and they head off for the Pit Stop at Statue Square.  The doctors end up finishing right behind them and then are able to get into a taxi first just a couple of feet away from Jill & Thomas.  That is the little bit of luck they needed to get them another first place finish.  Jill & Thomas settle for 2nd.

 

After Brook & Claire finish the Detour, the head to the Pit Stop and finish 3rd.  

As patrons begin leaving the restaurant, Vicki finishes the Road Block and they head to the Detour where they choose Sampan as well.  Nick gives up and literally lays of the floor of the boat and sleeps.  Vicki doesn’t know what to do, she doesn’t want to quit, but she feels like she can’t do this by herself.  Nick wakes up, sees Vicki still looking and can’t believe it.  Vicki decides they’ll just take the penalty so they head to the Pit Stop where Phil tells them this is a non-elimination. 

Episode Thoughts
TAR’s Hong Kong legs have historically been enjoyable and this one was no different.  A good leg with fun Detours and Road Block.

The eating Road Block can be forgiven by the fun atmosphere in the restaurant while the Detours were simple, but challenging enough and made even more so by the darkness.  (More nighttime legs please!)

A pretty full final four episode which can be rare and the non-elimination was definitely not a surprise.

Leg Ten Itinerary
PIT STOP
Lalbagh Fort
Dhaka, Bagladesh

CONNECTION
Singapore

DESTINATION CITY
Hong Kong

ROUTE MARKERS
Cheung Po Tsai Cave
Cheung Chau Island
Hong Kong

Statue of Bruce Lee, Avenue of the Stars
Hong Kong

ROAD BLOCK
Majesty Chinese Restaurant
Kowloon, Hong Kong

DETOUR
Hong Kong Tramways
Hong Kong

Jumbo Kingdom/Aberdeen Harbour
Hong Kong

PIT STOP
Statue Square
Hong Kong

Departure Times

Lalbagh Fort
Dhaka, Bagladesh

Jill & Thomas 8:25am
Nick & Vicki 1:59pm
Nat & Kat 4:05pm
Brook & Claire 5:15pm

Who Did the Detour?
In order of completion

DING DING

SAMPAN
*

* Jill & Thomas attempted the Ding Ding Detour

Nick & Vicki did not complete the Detour.

Road Block Count
In order of completion; Italics indicate who did this week’s Road Block

Who’s feeling a littke peckish?
5 Nat Kat 4
5 Jill Thomas 5
5 Brook Claire 5
6 Nick Vicki 4

5 Chad Stephanie 4
4 Gary Mallory 4
3 Michael Kevin 4
3 Katie Rachel 2
4 Connor Jonathan 0
0 Andie Jenna 2
1 Ron Tony 0

Order of Finish
1st Nat & Kat (+2)
2nd Jill & Thomas (-1)
3rd Brook & Claire (+1)
4th Nick & Vicki (-2)
My Subjective Team Rankings for Leg 10

Brook & Claire Brook & Claire – They can get snippy at each other, but they never forget to have fun and enjoy themselves even in tough situations.  They can relax, but they also know when to step it up.  That drive has helped give them that extra push to stay safe and most of the time dominant this Race.    
Nat & Kat Nat & Kat – Thomas made an excellent point.  While Nat & Kat have won more legs, they’ve also come very close to elimination several times as well.  That all goes back to their lack of urgency.  Another leg, another task where they are ahead and get caught up to.  They need to know when to hustle because it only takes one misstep to lose, especially now with only four teams left. 
GAP
Nick & Vicki Nick & Vicki – Vicki has been surprisingly tough this entire Race.  Nick, on the other hand, has been frustrated, pissy, and unsupportive.  Him laying down and sleeping during the Detour was unprecedented.  What is there to say about that?  Poor Vicki.
GAP
Jill & Thomas Jill & Thomas – Not even Nick’s quitting can get them out of the bottom of my list.
Quotes from Episode 17.10

Brook: “Let’s hug it out.”
Claire: “We did suck it out.”

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