Recap: The Amazing Race 25, Episode 5 – “Morocc’and Roll”
It is 9:48pm and Kym & Alli open the first clue telling teams to fly to Marrakech, Morocco.
Shelley & Nici had a long talk last night and are fine now. All teams are on the same flight and while waiting at the airport, Misti & Jim can feel the other teams’ annoyance at them being safe and still having The Save.
Once teams arrive in Marrakech, they must make their way to Jemaa el-Fnaa where they must find the next clue in front of the food cart garage.
Nici uses her Spanish-speaking skills she picked up in the military to negotiate with their cab driver. They’ll pay him 100 an hour to let them leave their bags in the cab.
All the teams arrive at the square at the same time and they run around until they all arrive at the cluebox.
Teams must now help local food vendors roll out their restaurant carts and set up shop in the square. When the owner feels the cart is ready for business, teams will get the next clue. Teams are also warned of a U-Turn ahead.
While the other teams frantically retrieve their carts from inside the garage, Misti & Jim must first complete their Speed Bump.
For this Speed Bump, Misti & Jim must head to Le Cadeau Berbere carpet shop to pick up 10 rugs that they would need to hang along a wire next to the Riad Monceau hotel.
Back in the square, it is complete chaos. Restaurant cart parts falling, banging and clanging everywhere.
Keith & Whitney manage to finish first and they get the next clue. Misti & Jim finish their Speed Bump (and are 12 minutes behind the other teams, according to a present Phil) as everyone else leaves.
Teams must make their way on foot to the Bab Debbagh Tannery where they will find the Road Block.
For this Road Block, teams must first finish removing the hair from three goat hides. They will then deliver three bundles of already prepared hides by bicycle to a local cobbler who will hand them a receipt that they will exchange for a clue back at the tannery.
Keith, Amy, Brooke, Bethany, Tim, Kym and Nici all decide to do the Road Block. Tim and Amy sit with a local also removing the hair from the hides to learn how while the others complain about wanting to throw up from their disgusting surroundings.
Misti & Jim catch up and Misti decides to do the Road Block to try and redeem herself from the last Leg.
While waiting, Maya says while the smell is not pleasant, it is not the worst thing ever. Jim does not agree. He thinks this place smells like “shit.”
The teams finish ripping the hair off and now must attach the three bundles onto their bikes. Two locals help Bethany strap her bundles to her bike.
The teams have no idea where to go. Misti accidentally knocks Nici’s bike over as she’s trying to secure her bundles. She then crashes into a motorcycle herself.
All eight Racers end up in the same little corner, nobody knowing where the hell to go. While everyone else stands there dumbfounded, Tim sneaks off into an alley and finally finds Abdellah Boulim.
The other teams follow him and it is another chaotic mess to jockey for position.
“Oh my God, shut up.” / “Don’t push me.”
Tim, Amy and Bethany get their receipts first. Tim and Amy turn right, but someone tells Bethany they need to turn left. She calls after the two of them, but they’re already far away.
The other teams arrive at the tannery. Shelley is excited to see Nici, who left the tannery in last, is now first. The teams must exchange their receipt with the guy in the red hat. Keith stands in front of him, but Shelley & Nici contend that they get the clue first because Whitney is nowhere near. They must be with their partners.
“Don’t push me!” Keith yells.
Misti tries to calm everyone down.
“You push me one more time…”
Teams are still bunched together as they must now make their way on foot to Ben Youssef Medersa.
“Come on! We gotta beat them bitches.”
Teams the find the Detour for this Leg.
In Twirl Time, teams will join a gnawa dance troupe. After picking up costumes and instruments at Bob Magic Music, they will join the troupe at Jemaa el-Fnaa to perform. One team member would play a drum while the other played the krakeb while twirling a tassel on their hat. If they can continuously twirl the tassel for one minute, they’ll get the next clue.
In Tea Time, teams must first pick up a traditional tea set from Le Paradis du Thee, including sugar box, mint tea, green tea and a samovar. Bringing the set to Palais Gharnata, they would dress up and serve the tea to waiting guests. While one team member holds the serving tray with only one hand, the other must pour the tea in a traditional way, making sure to pour tea into both cups from a certain height.
Kym & Alli, Keith & Whitney, Amy & Maya and Shelley & Nici choose Twirl Time. Misti & Jim, Brooke & Robbie, Adam & Bethany and Tim & Te Jay choose Tea Time.
At the tea, Adam & Bethany make sure to observe and get it right before attempting at the table of guests. Meanwhile, Misti is holding the tray with both hands while Brooke is not lifting the kettles high enough.
At the twirling, the teams are having trouble getting the twirl right while Maya can’t even keep the hat on her head.
As Tim & Te Jay arrive at the restaurant, Misti & Jim and Brooke & Robbie still don’t know what they’re doing wrong. Adam & Bethany’s attention to detail gets them the thumbs up and the clue first.
They hurry over to Le Grand Balcon du Cafe Glacier for the next clue. Kym & Alli finish the Detour next, but get to the U-Turn board first. They decide not to U-Turn anyone. Neither does Adam & Bethany.
They race to the Pit Stop, the Al Matjar Bazzar.
Kym & Alli step on the mat first to claim another win and $5000 each. Adam & Bethany settle for 2nd.
Shelley & Nici finish 3rd and head to the board and decide to U-Turn Keith & Whitney as karma for what happened after the Road Block. They hurry back to their cab driver to pay him.
Tim & Te Jay get the tea pouring on their 2nd try after correcting their height mistake, they get the next clue and head to the U-Turn and then the Pit Stop to officially check-in as Team #3. Shelley & Nici finish as Team #4.
Amy and Maya switch positions. Whitney wants to switch Detours. Correcting their mistakes, Misti & Jim finally finish the pouring on their 10th attempt while Brooke & Robbie finish on their 8th attempt.
Brooke & Robbie, Misti & Jim and Amy & Maya check-in at the Mat together to finish 5th, 6th and 7th respectively.
Keith & Whitney switch to the tea Detour before resigning to the fact that they are last and likely eliminated. They take 2 hours and 9 minutes back at the twirling before finally heading to the Pit Stop in last to officially be eliminated.
Episode Thoughts
Wow! This might have been one of the best, most exciting Amazing Race episodes in years! The editing was on point throughout the entire episode.
While the teams expressing how disgusted they were with everything around them was a huge turn off, the competition and the drama was incredible. So much insanity everywhere.
I’m sad about the teams’ comments. A lot of it was pretty harsh, especially Jim’s. That was all completely Ugly American behavior I think.
The Leg Design! The Leg Design on this Leg was perfect. They were racing in a pretty compact area, yet it was exciting and visually appealing. It allowed for really great competition.
Loved the season 3 throwbacks this episode with the restaurant carts and the location of the U-Turn at Cafe Glacier and the Pit Stop at the carpet shop where Teri & Ian won the FF (against JVJ!). Definitely brings back some great memories.
But that initial insanity with the carts then the insanity with trying to complete the Detour and then the Keith vs Shelley insanity and then the insanity with teams struggling at the Detour was just something we have not seen on TAR in a LONG time.
The editing was simply amazing. The quick cuts helped heighten the tension and chaos while still being able to show off how stunning Marrakech looked. And Shelley & Nici talking to the dentists at the airport in Copenhagen being foreshadowing for their U-Turn decision? Genius!
This was just an amazing episode all around. Definitely next year’s Emmy submission if nothing else comes along.
My Subjective Team Rankings
Tim & Te Jay are still my favorite team. This episode was just so crazy, but both Tim and Te Jay did well at different points of the Leg. I loved Tim sneaking off during the Road Block when everyone was clueless. Shelley & Nici making up after their HUGE meltdown at the Mat last week is hilarious. But even better was their confrontation with Keith & Whitney. I would’ve loved to have seen that feud boiling a little longer, but it’s great to see the mother and daughter doing well. They should’ve U-Turned Misti & Jim though.
Amy & Maya really are flying under the radar. They are racing very well and Maya’s attitude counter to the other teams’ expressing their disgust was amazing. I loved that. She has the right attitude about the Race. And she’s shown to be so much fun. Kym & Alli are proving to be a very strong competitor in the Race and are definitely on a good track to make it all the way to the end. They are racing so well and are having fun at the same time. That’s a perfect combination.
Adam & Bethany had a much better Leg this time. And I think this was the first episode where pointing out Bethany only having one arm didn’t feel forced or heavy handed. We actually got to see her performing excellently with only one arm while the others struggled even with two. Brooke & Robbie had an okay Leg. Definitely slipped up at the Detour, but their comments about the surroundings were some of the worst.
But definitely not as bad as Misti & Jim. Jim was just a douche the entire episode! First with mocking Maya and her positive outlook on the location and then putting down Misti and making her out to be weak and helpless. Wow. Misti has been great, actually. But this episode really brought a bad Jim out in the spotlight. It was cringe worthy seeing Misti all very gung ho about helping and doing her share while Jim continued to make her out to be hopeless.
Keith & Whitney were just okay, but Keith’s brash way of getting to the clue giver really did them in. Otherwise, Shelley & Nici wouldn’t have U-Turned them. But even then, they really wasted a lot of time at the Detour. Not that sad to see them go.
Episode Quotes
Adam: “Just like shaving my back, alright?”
Whitney: “I can’t even say the words that come to mind when I think of Shelley and Nici.”
Keith: “I have a few choice words.”
Te Jay: “Why’d they all pass you?”
Tim: “Why do you have to say it like that?”
Te Jay: “I’m asking.”
Tim: “Later!”
Keith: “It’s your head that is makin’ us not succeed.”
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