Recap: The Amazing Race Australia 1, Episode 8 – “Why are you screaming?”

The Amazing Race Australia – Episode Eight

The Leg


Chris & Anastasia can’t celebrate their first place win since the leg isn’t over yet (and we can say this is one leg because they got no prize).  They open the next clue telling teams to take a train to Krakow, Poland where they’ll find a car in the carpark with their next clue.

They head to the station but miss the train to Krakow by minutes.  That allows Tyler & Nathan, Jeff & Luke, and Sam & Renae to catch up for the train getting them into Krakow at 3:16am.

Dave & Kelly and Matt & Tom end up on a train that gets them in at 6:24am.

En route to Krakow, it’s time for the missing passport drama that’s been hyped up the entire week.  The surfers and Sam & Renae sleep in the same cabin and Sam apparently notices two guys creeping through the window every couple of minutes.  They suddenly realize Tyler & Nathan’s fanny pack is missing.  They go up and down the train and eventually the girls just happen to come across it in an empty cabin.  Passports are in the pack, but all the cash is gone.

And so ends the overhyped passport drama.


The teams arrive in Krakow, find the cars and open their next clue which contains the Road Block.
In this Road Block, teams head to the Wieliczka Salt Mine where they will descend 100 meters underground and push a cart full of rock salt down to the end of a mineshaft and dig through it to find crystal keys, one of which will open the ancient salt king’s crypt and reveal their next clue.



Teams head to the salt mine, but HOURS OF OPERATION! strike.  The sign says 6am, but for some reason Jeff tells Sam & Renae 8am.  Luke is flabbergasted.  What are you even saying, he asks and makes a face which sets off his father.

Luke gets a head start at the Road Block and finds one of the crystals but it doesn’t work.  The other three teams roll in and start digging, but it’s Luke that finds the right key first.  Nathan asks what it looks like, but Luke doesn’t give them a clue.


Jeff & Luke head back above ground and open the clue to reveal the Detour.
In Herd, teams drive into the countryside where they arrange a sheep pen and herd three marked sheep into the pen for their next clue.
In Hoe Down, teams head to the town of Zakopane where they’ll dress in traditional Highland costume and learn and perform the trational Polish axe dance.  



The teams all choose Herd, including Matt & Tom and Dave & Kelly who are bringing up the rear.  Sam & Renae get to the sheep first and while the other three catch up, they finish first as well.

Teams must now head to Cape Stylchen in Czorstyn where they’ll encounter an Intersection. 
Sam & Renae and Chris & Anastasia get there first and team up.  Here, teams must use a double-handled saw to slice off four slabs from a log, alternating partners after each slab.

Sam & Renae go first and realize this isn’t going to be easy.  Tyler & Nathan and Jeff & Luke team up and even Matt & Tom and Dave & Kelly catch up with all six teams now at the Intersection task. 



Sam & Renae get through their slice, but Anastasia is struggling through theirs.  She pushes through the pain and frustration, but just can’t take it anymore.  They decide to quit the task which ensures a four hour penalty.

They are given the next clue and sure enough, it is the Pit Stop at Niedzica Castle.  Sam & Renae step on the Mat and Grant tells them they have a two hour penalty since they had made one cut in the task.  Chris & Anastasia get the full four hour penalty.

Jeff & Luke and Tyler & Nathan finish the task and they head to the Pit Stop.  Tyler & Nathan settle for 2nd as they let Jeff & Luke take the win and the A$10,000 for being so instrumental in their finishing the leg.



While Dave and Tom saw their last block, Sam & Renae’s penalty is over and they check in 3rd.

It’s over for Chris & Anastasia as Dave & Kelly and Matt & Tom officially check in 4th and 5th respectively.  And the dating couple is officially eliminated from the Race.


Episode Thoughts
A crazy leg thanks in large part to that horribly placed Intersection.  First time an Intersection has appeared on any Race before a non-Road Block or Detour I believe.  And the first time an Intersection has appeared right before a Pit Stop.

Definitely an odd placement for one.  But what’s even more baffling is how difficult the task was especially considering TARA4 did that same task, only harder in Leg 6 in New Zealand.  On TARA, it wasn’t an intersection, but teams had to saw off four slices and then individually slice one each… on their own.  How teams struggled here on TARAu either says a lot about Australians, a lot about Asians, or a lot about the difference between logs and saws in New Zealand and Poland.

Both times were pretty physical, but TARA’s task was not the deciding factor in the elimination since it wasn’t right before the Pit Stop. 

And the placement of the double leg, proven to be on the wrong point in the Race since the train just bunched them all up anyway.  Plus the Detour was a pretty lopsided one too.

And what about that passport faux-drama eh?  Those two creepers being nice and considerate and leaving their passports while only taking the money.  Really?  That seems a lot fishier than just random wackos going around stealing stuff.

Leg design criticism aside, Poland looks beautiful indeed.  

But what about that preview… ISRAEL!?!?! TAR going to ISRAEL?!  That’ll certainly be interesting.

And on the lighter side of things, that Polish grandma’s “eh, whatever” to the surfers as they rudely snub her was cute and funny.  More awesome locals on TAR please!




PIT STOP
Church of Bones
Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

ROUTE MARKER
Kraków Główny railway station
Krakow, Poland

ROAD BLOCK
Wieliczka Salt Mine
Krakow

DETOUR
Zakopane, Poland

ROUTE MARKER
Cape Stylchen
Czorsztyn , Poland

PIT STOP
Niedzica Castle
Niedzica, Poland



HERD







HOE DOWN

< or > indicate teams switched Detours.




Who did the Road Block?
When push comes to shove, who digs adventure?
In order of completion; Italics indicate who did the Road Block

3 Jeff Luke 5
4 Sam Renae 4
3 Anastasia Chris 5
4 Tyler Nathan 4
4 Matt Tom 4
5 Dave Kelly 3


Who wants to scale the heavenly heights?
In order of completion; Italics indicate who did the Road Block

3 Anastasia Chris 4
4 Tyler Nathan 3
2 Jeff Luke 5
4 Sam Renae 3
4 Dave Kelly 3
3 Matt Tom 4

2 Alana Mel 4
2 Mo Mos 3
1 Joey Richard 2
1 Tracy Anne-Marie 2
2 Ryot Liberty 0



PIT STOP 1
Church of Bones
Kutná Hora

1st Chris & Anastasia (+1)
2nd Tyler & Nathan (-1)
3rd Jeff & Luke (=)
4th Sam & Renae (+2)
5th Dave & Kelly (=)
6th Matt & Tom (-2)


PIT STOP 2
Niedzica Castle
Niedzica, Poland

1st Jeff & Luke (+2)
2nd Tyler & Nathan (=)
3rd Sam & Renae (+1)
4th Dave & Kelly (+1)
5th Matt & Tom (+1)
6th Chris & Anastasia (-5)



Jeff & Luke Jeff & Luke – They’re my only hope left!  With Chris & Anastasia gone, they’re the only team I’m actively rooting for to win, but judging from how the Race has gone so far, I feel like Jeff & Luke are certainly not safe at all.  That physical Intersection task definitely played right to their literal strengths.  And their little spat before the Road Block was nothing to note even.  But if they stay positive and not make horrible navigational mistakes, they have a shot.
Anastasia & Chris Anastasia & Chris – What a horrible way to go.  Up until this leg, Anastasia’s been a trooper.  Her breakdowns haven’t been because a task has been too difficult, but more her relationship with Chris.  So her not being able to do the task was a little surprising.  Quitting always sucks on TAR and there have definitely been teams that have quit doing much, much less than teams did this leg.  Chris & Anastasia could’ve done well, but TARAu is shaping up to be a crazy season.
Tyler & Nathan Tyler & Nathan – Another okay leg from them.  Jeff & Luke did give them a boost at the Intersection, otherwise they were running fourth the entire leg.  And of course, teams are less fun when they aren’t in the front of the pack, so they weren’t as fun and enjoyable this week.  
Matt & Tom Matt & Tom – Not a good leg for them at all.  They were saved merely by Chris & Anastasia quitting.  And them trailing Dave & Kelly the entire leg is a cause for concern as well.
GAP
Sam & Renae Sam & Renae – I totally expected them to be catty about Anastasia breaking down, but they weren’t so I give them props for that.  But I wanted more paranoia.  They aren’t exciting in the Race department, so at least be more fun by being crazy paranoid.  The most interesting thing about them this leg though was them finding the guys’ fanny pack.  Suspicious much? lol
Dave & Kelly Dave & Kelly – Dave is a jerk.  Like seriously.  Kelly is alright most of the time, but Dave just doesn’t stop being an annoying jerk.  It’s unreal. 


Quotes from Episode 1.08

Luke: “I haven’t been map reading that well, but I’m not failing shapes at this stage.”

Anastasia: “I told you to slow down so I can read what freaking streets are coming up.  But you would rather drive at 70ks an hour instead of 40 like a tourist.  Slow.  The hell.  Down.  Slow down, so we can look at the street signs and read it, that’s all I care about.”
Chris: “Why are you screaming?  What are you getting angry for?”











Over 380+ episode caps at xangatheamazingracecaps!
.


 

Share your thoughts!

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

Back to top