The Amazing Race 19 Episode 2 – The Spirit of our Life
The Leg
  
Leg 2 begins and the teams are informed in the first clue that this is a Double Elimination Leg. Teams must first fly to Jakarta, Indonesia and then take a train to Yogyakarta. Teams wonder if any team was eliminated in the first leg until “Ma and Pa” Bill & Cathi join them at the airport as they all check-in for an 8:45am flight.
Teams had to Gambir Station and all take tickets on the same train. But while they’re waiting Justin & Jennifer have a fight over Justin wanting to get information on the phone and Jennifer… not excited about doing so.
Teams board the overnight train and the next morning, the Race is on with them taking taxis to Goa Jomblang, a remote vertical cave on the outskirts of Yogyakarta for their next clue.
Bill & Cathi lead the caravan, but are pretty far ahead. Ahead enough to allow them to find the Road Block clue AND their Speed Bump and almost complete it before another team arrives.
  
For their Speed Bump, Bill & Cathi must unkink a tangled rope and then hook it onto a carabiner on a tree across the field. They’re just about finished when Ernie & Cindy and Liz & Marie arrive.
The lead three teams head on over to the Road Block.
  
In this Road Block, teams descend into Goa Jomblang and search for a Japanese mask and a traditional dagger known as a kris. They’ll take them and climb a bamboo ladder back up and exchange the items for the next clue.
Bill makes it out first and he & Cathi are immediately given the clue for the Detour.
For this Detour teams head back to the city.
In Shake Your Money Maker, teams head to a busy intersection where they will dress up and earn 30,000 rupiah in tips by performing in the street. One team member will learn a traditional dance while the other accompanies them by playing the gamelan.
In Be a Ticket Taker, teams head to the Mal Malioboro where they will work as motorbike parking attendants. Once they park enough bikes to earn 15,000 rupiah, they’ll turn in their ticket books.
After both Detours, teams must take the money they earned to an Aisyiyah orphanage where they’ll be given their next clue. However, teams must also read a sign on the table that instructs them to hand over all the money in their possession in addition to their Detour earnings before moving on.
  
Liz & Marie decide on dancing while Bill & Cathi and Ernie & Cindy go park bikes. In the next batch are Amani & Marcus, Jeremy & Sandy, Justin & Jennifer, Andy & Tommy, and Ethan & Jenna, leaving Zac & Laurence, Kaylani & Lisa, and Ron & Bill fighting it out for last.
Ernie & Cindy finish their Detour and head to the orphanage first. The hand over their Detour money, but do not read the sign. They are handed a pin with a coat of arms on it representing the Sultan of Yogyakarta and their next Route Marker, the Pit Stop at Kraton Palace. They go on their way, not knowing their oversight. So do Bill & Cathi and Liz & Marie who are right behind.
  
Just as Phil breaks the bad news to a just arrived Ernie & Cindy, Andy & Tommy do catch the sign on the table and correctly hand over all their money. Phil tells Ernie & Cindy they must go back to the orphanage and give the children their money before being able to check-in at the Pit Stop.
The rest of the teams are on their way to finishing the Detours, but Ethan & Jenna leave the Detour clue back at the dancing intersection and must run back and get it.
At the Pit Stop, Phil informs Liz & Marie and Bill & Cathi of their error, but at the orphanage, Zac & Laurence and Kaylani & Lisa both have sharp eyes and do hand over their cash.
Though they arrive 4th, Andy & Tommy officially check-in as Team #1 and win the Leg and a trip to Ireland. Jeremy & Sandy, Justin & Jennifer and Amani & Marcus are also turned away at the Mat, and arriving in 8th, Zac & Laurence can officially check-in as Team #2.
Ethan & Jenna arrive 9th, but have to go back as well. In comes Kaylani & Lisa. Phil tells them they are the 10th team to arrive and tortures them before telling them they are safe from the double elimination and are officially Team #3.
  
After making up for their lack of reading comprehension, the rest of the teams can officially check-in. Ernie & Cindy in 4th, Liz & Marie in 5th, Jeremy & Sandy in 6th, Bill & Cathi in 7th, and Justin & Jennifer in 8th.
Three teams left and it is Amani & Marcus that escapes the double elimination in 9th. Ethan & Jenna are the 10th team to arrive, but that equals elimination. Ron & Bill check-in last, also ensuring their elimination.
Episode Thoughts
It was a strong episode. I’ll give TAR a pass with the linear leg design just this once thanks to that sneaky instruction at the orphanage. On one hand, it is great that TAR is not just handing out clues and are giving teams randomly vague riddles and wordless symbols and requiring teams to be more aware of their surroundings.
That helps the Race be not just a cakewalk and actually keeps teams on their toes for once. On the other hand though, that sneaky clue I think was designed specifically for this double elimination. It eases any “Hey! No fair!” whining from teams on the first double elimination as anyone’s elimination will be because of their own doing (or not doing in this case).
The Detour was great. Definitely awesome to have teams right in the middle of the city and with the people. The Road Block was awesome too. I love spelunking, and that looked like an incredible place to spelunk as any.
But that Speed Bump… oh boy. Seems like TAR wants to top itself with how lame a Speed Bump can be. Who knew anything could be worse than walking through fireworks, washing hair or throwing coins in a hole. This was just horrible and it was right next to the Road Block. At least other Speed Bumps had teams go to other locations. The continued poor execution of the Speed Bump and the non-factor of last week’s Hazard seems to bring up the need for Betram and Co. to brainstorm ways to fix the twists.
But all in all, a good episode and so far a nice start to the season.
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