Recap: The Amazing Race 22, Episode 3 – Like James Bond Again
The Leg
Dave & Connor see a doctor at the Pit Stop who gives Dave crutches and tells them they need to see a specialist in Papeete.
The Race must continue though and teams open the first clue telling them to fly to Phil’s hometown, Christchurch, New Zealand.
After all that “sucking up” in the 2nd Leg, Jessica & John decide to stay true to their word anyway and give the Express Pass to the father and son, especially now that they’re injured and not really a threat.
At the Bora Bora airport, John decides hockey brothers Anthony & Bates are their #1 competition and they must get them out at all costs.
Teams fly to Papeete, but the next flight to Auckland is 8am the next day. While teams wait at the airport, Dave & Connor go to the hospital where they find he’s torn a muscle and his Achilles tendon. They get him a boot and join the others at the airport where everyone cheers.
Spending the night at the airport, Jessica & John form an alliance with Joey & Meghan and Mona & Beth and make it their collective priority to knock out Anthony & Bates who are having fun sleeping with Caroline & Jen.
It’s morning and all teams are the on the same flight to Auckland . Pam & Winnie, who were in last, get on the first flight to Christchurch.
Once there, teams hop into a Ford Focus and drive themselves to Rakaia River Gorge. There, they must pull a number for a jetboat leaving the next morning.
Pam & Winnie get lost, again allowing Dave & Connor to arrive first. The other teams arrive and they must all camp out for the night.
It’s 6am and teams hop onto their respective jetboats to drive themselves to the next clue.
Dave & Connor open it up and find the Detour. For both, teams must drive an ATV to the start. In Rev It Up, each team member gets behind the wheel of a modified vintage car and must navigate an obstacle course in less than 83 seconds, combined. In Reel It In, teams must go fishing and each team member must catch one fish at least 12 inches long.
Dave & Connor head to Rev It Up, but realize Dave can’t drive a stick shift with his boot, so they switch to the fish. All other teams except Chuck & Wynona choose Rev It Up.
While the teams are figuring out the cars, fish aren’t biting onto Dave & Connor’s lines so they decide to use the Express Pass.
After a few attempts, Jessica & John and Joey & Meghan finish the Detour. While Katie laughs about Max turning out to be the “albatross” of their team in this task, the others teams arrive and get started.
Teams return to their Ford Focuses and must now drive to Mount Hutt Station for their next clue.
Dave & Connor maintain their lead as they open the clue for the Road Block.
In this Road Block, teams take part in a traditional New Zealand completion known as a Shemozzle Race. First, teams put on shorts and a burlap sack then make their way through an obstacle course where they’ll get covered in molasses while maneuvering inside a chicken coop, crawl through a tunnel, covering themselves in chicken feathers then go down a water slide into a pool of manure all while collecting eggs along the way. Once they’ve collected 12 unbroken eggs, they’ll get the next clue.
Connor, of course, sets out on the course and manages to finish just as the next team arrives.
The father and son must now drive themselves to the Pit Stop, Terrace Downs.
They get to the Mat and Phil introduces them to Tim the Dog before officially checking them in as Team #1 and telling them they’ve won a trip to Bangkok.
Phil asks them if they can continue on in the Race and they consider maybe this is the end of the road for them. But Phil pulls a clue from his back pocket and tells them the Race continues now.
Episode Thoughts A much better episode than the first two. Not that Bora Bora wasn’t breathtaking, but the competition was definitely on this Leg. Everyone bunching up, teams moving ahead, teams falling behind.
The airport/Dave’s injury drama that took up half the episode was actually fun and interesting. The Detour was basic TAR, but it wasn’t so simple that teams were in and out like they usually are. The Road Block was definitely fun and all the tasks were great to show off New Zealand.
The TBC wasn’t much of a surprise, but it definitely adds to the drama with Dave & Connor. Best of the three episodes so far this season and first time I was really excited.
PIT START Motu Tapu Bora Bora
CONNECTIONS Papeete, Tahiti Auckland, New Zealand
DESTINATION CITY Christchurch, New Zealand
ROUTE MARKER/DETOUR Rakaia River Gorge Windwhistle, New Zeland
ROAD BLOCK Mount Hutt Station Metheven, New Zealand
PIT STOP Terrace Downs Windwhistle, New Zealand
 
DEPARTURE Motu Tapu Bora Bora
Bates & Anthony 8:54am Dave & Connor 8:55am Jessica & John 8:56am Joey & Meghan 9:00am Chuck & Wynona 9:01am Mona & Beth 9:06am Caroline & Jennifer 10:49am Max & Katie 11:08am Pam & Winnie 11:48am
REV IT UP
FISH IT OUT >ε
In order of completion > or < indicates team switched Detours.
Who did the Road Block? Who wants to keep their Race from going to the dogs? In order of completion; Italics indicate who did the Road Block
1 Dave Connor3 2 Jessica John2 2 Pamela Winnie2 2 Caroline Jennifer 2 3Chuck Wynona 1 2 Joey Meghan2 2Mona Beth 2 2Bates Anthony 2 1 Max Katie3
1IdriesJamil2 1MattthewDaniel1
PIT STOP Terrace Downs Windwhistle, New Zealand
1st Dave & Connor +1
David & Connor – Definitely much kudos to them for not only pushing forward, but winning the Leg. It was definitely their episode and seeing them continue Racing even if just to win one Leg was great. It’d be nice to see them go far in the Race, but I don’t know how much longer they can with Dave’s foot like that. When other teams have quit for far less, it is great to see a team be determined and strong enough to move forward in spite of the circumstances.
Chuck & Wynona – Not the best Leg for them and a little more subdued too. They didn’t even show Wynona being all goofy running out of the plane in Auckland as was posted on YouTube by local TAR fans. =( Hope they can work on being a little more aware of the other teams though so they can’t get left behind because they’ve been alright completing tasks.
Pamela & Winnie – They started the Leg off great getting on that first flight to Christchurch, but eek at more navigation troubles. I hope that won’t be their downfall, because they too are otherwise solid Racers. They did manage to get themselves to the Road Block no problem, jumping up a few spots in front of other teams, so hopefully the navigation problems are not going to be a regular occurence.
Mona & Beth – A much quieter Leg for them. But they did get themselves into an alliance. Not sure how that’ll work out for them since I think they can do well on their own. I still hope they can show a little more personality and them having more fun on the Race though because it seems like they are, but TAR hasn’t showed much of it.
Bates & Anthony – An okay Leg for them. But the fact that there’s a growing uprising against them, either means they’re out soon or they’re going to go far and outlast them. Should be interesting to see if they can keep their good momentum.
Max & Katie – A rough Leg for them, but still fun to watch. After two episodes of being set up as some diabolical, Romber-like team, this episode made them seem more like a fun, bickering couple. And I enjoyed it. If they can mix that with some real scheming and strong competing, then they could be a rootable team yet.
Caroline & Jennifer – A quiet Leg for them. They started out slow, but managed to make up some big time at the Road Block. I’d like to see them step it up a little more though, I think they have potential.
Jessica & John – Max & Katie were being set-up to be the team to love to hate, but Jessica & John are quickly slipping into that mold. They’re starting to really overplay and that’s not a good thing. All that wanting other teams to suck up to them amounted to nothing and this whole “Hockey player hunt” could backfire on them quick. We’ll see.
Joey & Meghan – Wow, I don’t know if a team has grated as much as these two have in just three episodes. They aren’t funny or cute or fun and instead are trying too hard and playing up to the camera too much.
Quotes from Episode 22.03
Caroline: “We are moving in the right direction, which is down to #1″
Bates: “It only took us two nights to get them into bed.”
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