Recap: The Amazing Race 20, Episode 7 – “White men CAN jump!”

The Leg

Rachel & Dave leave the Pit Stop first and head to Pasha Travel agency to book tickets to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.  Back at the Pit Stop, Art & JJ hope deadweights Brendon & Rachel are eliminated next as they and Bopper & Mark catch up to them at the travel agency.  Bopper is excited about the free candy. 

Wanting to stir the pot, Art & JJ tell Brenchel and Kentucky their suspicions about Nary & Jamie not being teachers.  But after they leave, both Brenchel and Kentucky say their don’t really care if they are teachers or feds and that they like them a helluva lot more than Art & JJ.

Nary & Jamie arrive at the agency and they all laugh at Art & JJ.  Vanessa & Ralph join them and as Brendon & Rachel leave, they decide to badmouth them some more. 

All teams are on the same flight out of Baku and they have to connect through Nairobi.  And the sparks begin to fly.  Brendon runs past Ralph and JJ heading to the transfer desk and Ralph says Brendon gave him the finger.  With all the teams in line, Ralph confronts Brendon about it.  Brendon says he’s just here to play the game which results in Art & JJ putting in their two cents against him and Rachel.  Then it’s Rachel and Vanessa’s turn to trade insults about sparkles (!?) and boob jobs. 

At the counter, Rachel expresses her annoyance at being hurled insults when she hasn’t done anything to Vanessa, which draws an eyeroll and laugh from JJ right next to them.

Rachel lets out a good cry, which brings in more insults from Vanessa. 

Meanwhile, Art & JJ aren’t done as they confront Nary & Jamie about the occupation.  The feds don’t back down and call them out for continuing the drama and animosity after what just happened surrounded Brenchel.  Nary & Jamie stick to their story and Art & JJ relish bullying other teams.  Okay.

Once the drama’s over, teams fly on to Kilimanjaro.  Once there, they have to take a taxi to the Arusha Airstrip where they’ll sign up for one of three charter flights to the Ngorongoro Crater.  Brendon & Rachel and Art & JJ get on the first flight leaving at 9:30am, Bopper & Mark and Rachel & Dave leave on the 9:45am flight and Nary & Jamie and Vanessa & Ralph are on the last plane at 10:00am.

After spending the night outside, the teams get on their respective flights and enjoy a breathtaking tour of the area.  Brendon & Rachel and Art & JJ touch down first and get their clue telling them to choose a safari vehicle and navigate their driver to the western rim of the Ngorongoro Crater where they’ll look for a Masai warrior who’ll hand them their next clue.

They stick together and are handed the next clue, the Detour.

For both Detour choices, each team member must choose a bike and pedal themselves to Soneto Village.  They’ll be dressed in traditional Masai clothing.
In Marksmanship, teams must use a traditional Masai weapon called a rungu to each hit a clay target.
In Courtship, teams will take part in a traditional Masai courtship dance known as adumu, that requires them to jump for one minute despite the high altitude. 

Art & JJ choose Marksmanship, but Brendon & Rachel who choose Courtship easily finish before them.  But Art & JJ are right behind.  They bike back to the starting point as Rachel & Dave and Mark & Bopper arrive.  Brendon tells Kentucky to choose Courtship.

Bopper & Mark also finish the Detour before Rachel & Dave.  Nary & Jamie and Vanessa & Ralph bring up the rear with Vanessa having lots of trouble riding her bike.  They both choose Marksmanship.

Meanwhile, Brendon & Rachel and Art & JJ are going the wrong way with Brenchel realizing their mistake first.  That allows Rachel & Dave to arrive first at the next clue at the Simba Campsite.

Teams must now unload a truck and use the equipment to set up an elaborate safari tent complete with bush shower.  Once they have assembled the site correctly, they can head to the Pit Stop nearby.

Brendon & Rachel and Bopper & Mark arrive next with Art & JJ in 4th.  Teams have a little trouble putting pitching their tents and Nary & Jamie and Vanessa & Ralph catch up as all teams are now struggling.

Bopper & Mark think they’re finished, but the Camp Manager gives them the thumbs down having forgotten to put water into the shower.  That opens the door for Rachel & Dave to finish first.  They hop in their safari vehicle and head to Phil where they finish first for the fourth time.

Bopper & Mark finish 2nd, Art & JJ take 3rd and Brendon & Rachel finish 4th.  Vanessa & Ralph arrive at the Mat 5th, leaving Nary & Jamie in last.

Knowing they’re in last and expecting elimination anyway, they ask their driver to stop on the way to the Pit Stop so they could look at the elephants walking by.  They enjoy the moment and meet Phil expecting worse, but he has good news. It’s a non-elimination leg and they’re still in the Race. 

Episode Thoughts
An interesting leg.  It was a pretty sparse leg in terms of tasks and was more like a travel show showing off the breathtaking Tanzanian landscape.  Amazing shots.

I think it would’ve been an Emmy episode had there been more competition.  The Detour was great.  And yeah, that one minute jumping side of the Detour might seem incredibly lame and stupid.  But it was great for a few reasons; it was a task that allowed teams to be immersed in the local culture, something that’s been largely absent in recent seasons.  Also, being at a high elevation and having just ridden a bike (and having to ride it back afterwards), the jumping could be exhausting.  But it turned out to be the faster one, which lent to this being one of those tricky Detours. 

The only other task in the episode was the tent building, which isn’t necessarily the most exciting thing ever.  If there was an awesome Road Block, this would’ve been an excellent leg.  But the drama at the airport took too much time.  It’s a shame because while we did get some great travel porn cinematography, it would’ve been even better to have the epic landscape be the backdrop of a great task.