Recap: The Amazing Race 28, Episode 6 – Let The Good Times Roll
No, it’s not an April Fool’s Joke. CBS actually did NOT scrap this season of The Amazing Race and pretend it never happened. Unfortunately.
Even more unfortunate, we have to relive the horrible last Leg in the recap, have to sit through the Opening Credits of Doom AND have Phil clench his teeth and ask “Are we allowed to talk about Race romance?”
After a loud scream from Cole, teams learn they’re flying to Yerevan, Armenia.
Teams arrive in Yerevan at night and they head to the Yerevan Opera House. Their clue tells them an Express Pass, valid through Leg 9, goes to the winner of this Leg which will pause until 8am.
At 8am, teams receive tickets that gets them into the theater where they will be treated to a performance of Aram Khachaturian famous piece, the “Sabre Dance.” Teams need to search the opera house for their next clue. But it’s actually with the random guy vacuuming in the middle of the theater.
Brodie & Kurt are the first to actually ask the guy for it. Matt just looks through the man’s coat without asking.
The clue tells teams to make their way on foot to The Cascade.
Here, teams will learn of the Detour: Thread or Bread.
In Thread, teams will complete two rows of a pretty Armenian rug.
In Bread, teams must learn how to successfully make 15 pieces of lavash bread.
Brodie & Kurt and Burnie & Ashley start making bread while Sheri & Cole, Dana & Matt and Zach & Rachel choose Thread.
Tyler & Korey and Scott & Blair are the last to figure out the man in the middle of the theater holds their clue. But they arrive at Megerian Carpet before Zach & Rachel.
Brodie & Kurt finish the Detour and must now head to Republic Square to hop onto a bus to the first stop after Hatsavan. Sheri & Cole also finish the Detour
They chooses buses and are happily welcomed by the party people passengers.
While Burnie & Ashley get their 15 lavash approved, Zach & Rachel (who arrived at the Detour in last) are next to finish the carpet.
Tyler & Korey and Scott & Blair are next, leaving Matt & Dana in last. But Matt & Dana find a cab first followed by Scott & Blair.
Meanwhile in Hatsavan, Brodie & Kurt arrive at the stand and open the next clue revealing the Road Block: Who’s feeling drained?
For this Road Block, teams will do an oil change on a lada which they can take to the Pit Stop. Only two cars at a time can be on the ramp.
Kurt decides to do the Road Block with Cole telling Sheri to do it.
While Sheri struggles to twist the old oil filter off, Kurt easily finishes and he and Brodie head to the Pit Stop at the Temple of Garni. They win the Leg and the Express Pass.
The other teams arrive, but have to wait as Sheri and Burnie are still on the car ramp. Burnie finishes and tries to help Sheri twist the filter off, but can’t. Scott gives it a try, but suggests a tool.
Zach is up on the ramp next and finishes while Matt and Tyler watch to see how to do the task. When Zach finishes, Matt and Tyler work together.
With the help, Matt finishes fast. Scott asks Tyler to help him too so he can finish and Tyler can get up on the ramp too. Tyler thinks that’s a great idea so he can beat Sheri.
Sheri is still struggling and starts to cry. She apologizes to her son who unsuccessfully tries to comfort her. Blair gives Sheri a hug.
Scott finishes the Road Block and tries to help Sheri again. He realizes Sheri has been turning the filter wrench the wrong way. She’s been tightening it instead. He shows her the mistake before leaving.
The other teams have arrived at the Pit Stop in the following order: Burnie & Ashley, Zach & Rachel, Matt & Dana and Scott & Blair.
It’s now down to Tyler & Korey and Sheri & Cole. But after some last minute faux-drama, Tyler & Korey step on the Mat in 6th.
Cole and a crying Sheri are last, but Phil tells them they’re still racing.
Episode Thoughts
I was really surprised by this episode.
The last two weeks have been AMAZING. Very exciting and fun competition. Extended episodes too. Like, they’ve been all-day episodes on various networks too, not just CBS. So this week was very odd.
First of all, the TARPHDM9 Armenia Leg was so much better and more exciting. Especially the insane Race to the Pit Stop atop The Cascade. Very dramatic.
Anyway, it was nice for TARUS to visit a new country. But they spent only a couple of hours in it, minus sleeping in provided accommodations overnight. They’re immediately leaving to fly to Georgia.
The better task at the opera would’ve been to learn a dance or something, especially the one they were performing on stage. But I guess they’re saving the lone-dancing task this season for Georgia.
But it was pretty dumb on the Racers’ part since they kept asking the people on stage for clues, but not the random guy in the MIDDLE of the theater. Maybe they didn’t think a humble janitor would have the clue. How elitist. Tsk tsk.
The Cascade should’ve been a Pit Stop. How awesome and dramatic to have teams need to run up those stairs to get to the Mat. A true foot race!
The Detour was actually pretty good. Both sides were good tasks and judging from the time teams finished, it appeared balanced. Martina and everyone at the lavash place were fun. As were all the people on the buses.
Now the Road Block is another story. Oil change? Really? Only one Leg in Armenia (probably the ONLY time TARUS will get to visit Armenia) and one of the few tasks they actually stage is an oil change.
What a waste of such a stunning location with Mt. Ararat in the background.
Also, I hate when the cluebox is right next to where the Road Block is taking place. It allows later teams to see what’s going on before making a choice which basically negates the entire purpose of a Road Block. Not to mention having teams waiting in line at a Road Block AND having teams able to see others doing it before it’s their turn. Teams were even helping each other WHILE waiting. Ugh.
At least this was a no-penalty Non-Elimination Leg. (That’s really what these “Still Racing” Legs are. A Non-Elimination Leg with no penalty.) Though the two Pit Stops in France also should’ve been Non-Eliminations with the way they were designed.
I can’t fault TARUS for having an Express Pass this late in the Race since the very first TARPHDME had an Express Pass on Leg 11 to use on the penultimate Leg. lol
Overall, an okay Leg. But so much missed potential with the first and likely ONLY visit for TARUS to Armenia.
My Subjective Team Rankings
Martina was awesome. She and all the nice ladies at the lavash place reminded me of the awesome babushkas from TAR17.
Sheri was also awesome this Leg. And she’s been pretty good all Race so far. Like last Leg, she made the correct decision with the Detour when Cole wanted to do the less “scary” task. And here, she pushed through even though she made a very simple and almost fatal mistake at the Road Block. She’s certainly a trooper and has done more than many of the other Racers this season.
Kudos to Scott for helping Sheri a lot, but he did also get Tyler to help him too. Blair has now simply become one-half of a showmance instead of one-half of a nice father-daughter team.
Zach & Rachel are exactly on the path to the Final Leg, no question. Barring something catastrophic before, I can easily see them in the Final Leg with this kind of edit. Competent, nice, no problem.
Dana & Matt have calmed down from their fiery bickering. (Which I guess will make Dana very happy since she expressed on her social media how dissatisfied she was with her earlier edit.) But they actually came off a little bad this Leg. Very strange, especially at the opera house.
Burnie & Ashley are just meh. As are Brodie & Kurt who certainly do not need an Express Pass. Tyler & Korey ALMOST made it through this episode without having Tyler let out a huge, annoying laugh. They are much more tolerable in the back of the pack than in the front.
And finally, Cole has been the complete opposite of his mom. Sheri has certainly carried their team a lot more than he has. And his odd and unsuccessful attempt at comforting? his mom was just the worst.
Episode Quotes
Matt: “My roommate in college was Armenian. He was a hairy guy.”
Sheri: “There’s a lot of bouncin’ on the boobs.”
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