Recap: The Amazing Race 4, Episode 11 – “Such a Nice Pheromone Smell to You; Just Makes Me Want to Stay Close to You”


The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11 The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11

Phil announces that the final team will be eliminated in this Leg, securing the Final Three. The Leg begins with Kelly & Jon opening the first clue directing them to make their way to Hangang Park on Yeouido Island where locals fly traditional Korean kites. Teams must pull down a kite to release their next clue.

Jon & Al move into the lead as they retrieve the kite clue first and learn they will be flying to Brisbane, Australia. Reichen & Chip arrive next after berating their Korean taxi driver.

Kelly & Jon are not sure which string they need to be pulling at the kites and end up breaking a part of the kite display.

Teams head to Incheon Airport, but everything is closed until 6am. Jon & Al manage to call and find tickets on Korean Air which they are able secure. Kelly & Jon see Reichen & Chip at the Korean Air counter and just get the same tickets as them, but on an earlier Singapore Airlines flight. David & Jeff also get on that flight.

But the fog that had been very thick even when teams were on their way to Incheon has now delayed that flight. Jon & Al’s flight gets delayed even more and that worries them as they will miss their connecting flight. They see the Singapore flight and they rush to try and get on with just minutes before it departs. But because of security reasons, the flight is no longer accepting passengers.

The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11 The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11

Jon & Al end up getting on a direct flight to Brisbane. Originally worried, they are now in better spirits and even performing for people at the airport.

In Brisbane. David & Jeff decide to go for the Fast Forward where they must undergo a lifeguard test by saving a swimmer and dragging her back to the beach.

Reichen & Chip and Kelly & Jon get to the Holiday Inn and are taken to the penthouse where they find the Detour: Face First or Foot First. In Face First, teams will face-first rappel down the hotel. In Foot First, teams must spot the Sheraton with a Race flag on top and make their way on foot all the way to the 30th floor where the cluebox is waiting.

The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11 The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11

Both of them choose the rappel. Kelly’s broken hand from Seoul is bothering her. But she gets down.

After the Detour, teams must drive themselves to UnderWater World in Mooloolaba.

As David & Jeff win the Fast Forward, Jon & Al are in last, trying to catch up.

The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11 The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11

At UnderWater World, teams have to face the Road Block: “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.” Jon says he’ll do it, but Kelly thinks she should.

For this Road Block, teams must put on scuba gear and grab a clue from a treasure chest while swimming with sharks.

Jon and Reichen end up performing the Road Block with Jon finishing first. After the Road Block, teams can make their way to the Pit Stop at the Mooloolaba Yacht Club on foot.

The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11 The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11

David & Jeff are already there and they finish as Team #1, securing a spot in the Final Three and winning a trip to Mexico.

Kelly & Jon have trouble finding where the yacht club is. That allows Reichen & Chip to come out of the aquarium and see them run around. They decide to drive to the Pit Stop to beat them.

Reichen & Chip step on the Mat as the 2nd team to arrive. But Phil informs them that they have not followed the clue and are assessed a 35 minute penalty. (Five minutes for time gained and the standard 30 minutes.)

That allows Kelly & Jon to step on the Mat and officially check in as Team #2.

The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11

Meanwhile, Al has finished the Road Block and he and Jon hurry to the Pit Stop. But Phil informs them that the other team’s penalty has finished and Jon & Al are officially last and eliminated.

The other teams applaud the Clowns as they leave.

Episode Thoughts

So with four teams, it feels very much like this should be a Penultimate Leg. But the Leg itself was definitely nowhere near being worthy of a Penultimate Leg. A very barebones Leg. Probably one of the simplest Legs this season, if not the most simple.

The first third of the episode was airport drama again. And essentially, the Leg was decided at Incheon with Jon & Al not getting on the same flight as the other teams. I think one perfect example of why TAR should really just give teams the same flights. It’s no longer exciting now. Perhaps back then, it was fine. But for today’s Race, there’s no need for teams to finagle their own tickets anymore.

Just a simple Detour and Road Block. Without the Fast Forward, can you imagine how they could’ve filled this episode?

I will say, Jon pulling the entire kite string down back in Seoul was hilarious. The gasps when the thing broke, I don’t even know why, but I laughed my ass off. Such a random moment, yet I was very amused by it.

Honestly, they should’ve just spent this Leg in Seoul instead of Brisbane.

Anyway, it’s amazing that Reichen & Chip make the same mistake that was first made last season. I wonder if Bertram & Co. decided to put that clue in here because of what happened in TAR3. It didn’t result in a shocking ending though.

Interesting fake out edit at the end making it seem like Jon & Al had a chance. Thanks a lot TAR. But that was very strange. I don’t like it. lol

Overall, a pretty barebones Leg and tepid episode. One of the season’s weakest I think.

Also…
The Amazing Race 4 Episode 11
^Some quality control though TAR editors lol

My Subjective Team Rankings

The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4

Kelly & Jon‘s main moment this episode was Kelly fighting through her broken hand to finish the Detour. That was a good moment. And kudos to them for reading their clue well.

I would’ve liked Jon & Al in the Final 3 over Reichen & Chip, to be honest. They really worked their way up the ranks this season. And they were peaking at the right time. It’s just too bad they chose the wrong flight.

David & Jeff were pretty hilarious at the Fast Forward. But other than that, they were very invisible on this barebones Leg.

Reichen & Chip yelling at their taxi driver to speak English was so cringey and actually offensive. The man is in his own country. Learning English as a taxi driver is advisable. But the way Reichen & Chip berated him and then bringing it up again later in Australia, happy to have someone that speaks English, definitely feels very discriminatory. By the end of the episode with them hopping in their car, I was pretty much over them already. Their frantic, over-competitive nature hurt them a little, but not so much as to drive them out of the Race.

Episode Quotes

David: “You were a good victim.”

2 thoughts on “Recap: The Amazing Race 4, Episode 11 – “Such a Nice Pheromone Smell to You; Just Makes Me Want to Stay Close to You”

  1. Definitely could have done with an equalizer once they reached Australia. We never really found out what the time difference was between the two flights but to have the elimination decided so early in the episode (given that it was almost impossible to lose time on either challenge) was frustrating. Will miss the clowns.

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