Recap: The Amazing Race 22, Episode 4 – I Like Monkeys
The Leg
  
Phil hands Dave & Connor the next clue and asks if they’re going to keep going. Dave says he’s not giving up, so they open the next clue telling teams to fly to Bali, Indonesia.
After Chuck & Wynona get the relieving news that while last, they’re still Racing, teams hurry to travel agencies and the airport.
Pam & Winnie, Dave & Connor, Max & Katie, and Caroline & Jennifer manage to get onto the first flight connecting through Perth arriving in Bali at 8:35am.
The other teams are on two flights that are supposed to arrive in Bali at 12:05pm. But Jessica & John and Joey & Meghan find an earlier flight in Kuala Lumpur getting them into Bali at 10:35am.
  
The first flight arrives and teams must make their way to the Monkey Forest. There, they will take a coconut and place it where a monkey will go to it, open it and reveal their clue.
All four teams get to the park at the same time and place their coconuts for the monkeys to go at it. Dave & Connor and Pam & Winnie’s monkeys bust open their coconuts first, revealing a little canister inside with the Detour.
For this Detour, teams will deal with two natural resources essential to daily life in Bali.
In Sandy Bottom, teams head to the Ayung River where they will collect sand underwater before transporting it uphill 200 yards to the brickmaker. Once they’ve filled a container to the designated line, they’ll get the next clue.
In Fruity Top, teams will prepare an elaborate religious offering of fruit known as a Gebogan. After being approved, they will join a procession to the temple with a woman carrying the offering on her head before the teams take it back and set it on a Panggung to be blessed by a Priest who will hand them the next clue.
  
All four choose Fruity Top.
As the teams start setting up their Gebogans, Jessica & John and Joey & Meghan head to the Monkey Forest while the last flight arrives. But while Mona & Beth and Chuck & Wynona are already with the monkeys, Bates & Anthony’s taxi driver gets them lost and now in last place.
Back at the temple, Pam & Winnie join the procession first with Dave & Connor close behind. Max & Katie and Caroline & Jennifer head out before any other teams arrive.
  
Jessica & John are dropped off at what they think is the right place. They walk into someone’s home and sees the man making little things with flowers which they assume is the offering. The homeowner smiles, confusingly, as Jessica & John reread their clue, realizing they need to wear sarongs and take off their shoes. It’s not until their driver tells them they’re at the wrong place that they leave.
Joey & Meghan, Chuck & Wynona and Anthony & Bates also choose Fruity Top while Mona & Beth decide to do Sandy Bottom.
Meanwhile, the first four teams head to the next Route Marker at Uluwatu Surf Beach where they find the Road Block.
In this Road Block, teams head to a surf shop where they must find one surfboard with an image of something they’ve encountered in the Race so far. In this case, the Tahitian Priest who gave them a blessing in Bora Bora. They must then search for the Pit Stop and pick up their partner along the way. They can only be checked in if they have the right surfboard.
  
Winnie finds the right surfboard and heads back just as she runs into Connor who is just arriving at the surf shop.
Winnie has no idea where to go and returns to the surf shop and asks Connor if he’s seen Phil. She offers to work together, but she and Pam would go first and them 2nd. He says no, but then sneaks a peek at her board.
That allows Dave & Connor to pass the girls, step on the Mat 1st and secure the win plus $5000 each. Pam & Winnie have to settle for 2nd while Max & Katie take 3rd.
Back at the Detour, Mona & Beth take care of the sand, no problem. But at the Temple, Jessica & John are struggling and get denied one time before they dismantle their Gebogan and start over. When Joey & Meghan get the okay for theirs, Jessica suggest they use the Express Pass, but John says no though he doubts they’re even on the right track. They decide to just switch Detours while Chuck & Wynona and Anthony & Bates move along.
  
Caroline picks up a surfboard that says “Bali” on it and she takes it to Jennifer and Phil, but it’s incorrect, so she has go all the way back. She tries a surfboard with surfers on it, but it’s wrong again. Caroline asks if she can cry while Joey & Meghan get dropped off at the wrong beach and Mona & Beth say how exhausted they are.
Caroline finally gets the correct surfboard on 3rd try and they go back to Phil. He asks them if they have any idea who the guy on the surfboard is. They don’t. But it doesn’t matter because they’re still 4th.
Jessica & John arrive at the Sandy Bottom Road Block. John still doesn’t want to use the Express Pass.
At the Road Block, Chuck takes a surfboard of a woman with fruits. He then gets lost on the way to Phil even though Wynona sees him coming.
That allows Joey & Meghan to get to the Mat and officially check-in 5th. Mona & Beth, right next to them, have the wrong surfboard, but their alliance member Joey shows them the correct one.
  
Bates has the correct surfboard, but has no idea where to go. Chuck runs into Mona running back and asks what she did wrong. She says nothing. When Mona returns with the right one, they go check-in officially at Team #6. Chuck & Wynona come running in behind them with the wrong board and Phil sends them back. He asks Mona & Beth if they didn’t want to tell them the right answer, they say no.
Jessica & John finally arrive at the Road Block and they decide against the Express Pass. Bad decision. Bates & Anthony and Chuck & Wynona finish 7th and 8th respectively.
Jessica realizes they are last. John suddenly runs up to her without a surfboard saying he hasn’t found anything and wants to go to another surf shop or some nonsense. Phil and the Greeter are watching from the Mat.
Jessica doesn’t know what to say. John returns with a surfboard, they head to Phil who tells them it is incorrect.
“I wanna look at these boards.”
“You’re not allowed to look at these boards.”
After an hour and 15 minutes, John finally finds the correct surfboard. But Phil wastes no time in telling them that they are last and eliminated.
Phil notes they are the first team to ever be eliminated with an unused Express Pass. John says feeling regret at this point and looking back doesn’t make sense to him. “Really?” Phil asks.
“The simple truth is, I don’t need a million dollars.”
Jessica and John walk into the darkness.
Phil and the Greeter…
Episode Thoughts
Well, this is definitely the best episode of the season and maybe one of the best episodes in a while. It was exciting, busy, great tasks, beautiful location and historic meltdowns.
First of all, the Detour and Road Block were great. Both sides of the Detour were great cultural/local tasks that really highlighted the destination this week. It must have been an amazing experience to take part in that Hindu ritual. The sand Detour is definitely reminiscent of the TAR6 salt Road Block in Senegal, which is why I think it would’ve been better as a Road Block here too instead. It was a lot of work, but quick work and it would’ve produced a lot of fun I think.
In turn, the surfboards could’ve been an extra task since, while simple, teams still couldn’t get the right one. Maybe have a lot more surfboards and a smaller picture. The monkey task at the beginning of the Leg was also fun, but also great showing off what Indonesia has to offer.
But the biggest moment of the episode is definitely Jessica & John’s stunning elimination. And even more so, what can only be described as an odd and awkward meltdown at the Mat by John. Him not even thinking about the Express Pass all Leg long was bad enough, but his strange defense at the Mat was just hilarious and stunning to watch. The reaction from Phil the entire time was just incredible. And the “Oy vey!” just summed it all up.
I mean, Phil’s utter disgust was unmistakable. And we all know Phil’s a good guy. But damn, he was absolutely baffled and annoyed at the Mat right there.
Emmy episode this year? I’d say this would be a pretty good candidate.
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PIT START
Terrace Downs
Windwhistle, New Zealand
CONNECTIONS
Perth, Australia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Singapore
DESTINATION CITY
Bali, Indonesia
ROUTE MARKER
Ubud Monkey Forest
Ubud, Indonesia
DETOUR
Ayung River
Gang Bucu
Pura Desa Puseh Temple
Batuan, Indonesia
ROAD BLOCK
Ketut’s Surf Board Shop
Uluwatu, Indonesia
PIT STOP
Uluwatu Surf Beach
Uluwatu, Indonesia
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DEPARTURE
Terrace Downs
Windwhistle, New Zealand
Dave & Connor
Jessica & John
Bates & Anthony
Pam & Winnie
Joey & Meghan
Caroline & Jennifer
Mona & Beth
Max & Katie
Chuck & Wynona
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Who did the Road Block?
Who’s ready to get totally tubular and be worked in a way-gnarly challenge?
In order of completion; Italics indicate who did the Road Block
2 Pamela  Winnie 3
1 Dave  Connor 4
2 Max  Katie 3
3 Caroline  Jennifer 2
3 Joey  Meghan 2
3 Mona  Beth 2
3 Bates  Anthony 2
4 Chuck  Wynona 1
2 Jessica  John 3
1 Idries  Jamil 2
1 Mattthew  Daniel 1
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PIT STOP
Uluwatu Surf Beach
Uluwatu, Indonesia
1st Dave & Connor =
2nd Pam & Winnie +2
3rd Max & Katie +5
4th Caroline & Jennifer +2
5th Joey & Meghan =
6th Mona & Beth +1
7th Bates & Anthony -4
8th Chuck & Wynona +1
Eliminated Jessica & John -7
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It was great to see a leg where they didn’t clump all of the teams after their flights, and I wish that they would just let the teams race like that more often. I missed the show because I went out with a couple of friends that I work with at DISH, but thankfully there was a recording waiting for me when I got home. I am so glad that my DISH Hopper recorded it along with everything on CBS during primetime because I just had to know what happened after the cliffhanger last week.
Finally, a half-way decent episode, but I think the lack of a previous pit stop helped in that regard and also led to John’s oddball decisions and responses, Caroline’s crying, and Jessica & John intruding/invading that poor homeowner’s domain and actually confusing that little craft with the “elaborate religious offering of fruit” that is stated in the clue. Obviously, John is not someone you’d want to have as a leader in a crisis. Anyway, you might want to contact the producers of the show and offer your input. they could sure use something to get them back on “The Amazing Race” track of old. Plus, they could even use you to spruce up their website, but I guess that is really CBS’s poorly designed site.
Here’s John’s rather lame exit interview: http://social.entertainment.msn.com/tv/blogs/tv-buzz-blogpost.aspx?post=ec90f3e3-0aa3-40f5-8d47-1631f2c44505