Recap: The Amazing Race 33, Episode 3 – “I guess the good karma helping other teams wasn’t actually good karma.”

Recap: The Amazing Race 33, Episode 3 – Who Has This One in the Bag?

Teams continue Racing after the Zero-Hour Pit Stop and must now hop on an overnight train to Glasgow, Scotland. Upon arrival, teams will find their next clue in cars waiting at the NCP Car Park.

Teams must drive themselves to Oran Mor in Glasgow’s west end. Some teams are a bit nervous about having to drive stick on the other side of the road.

Kim & Penn arrive at the cluebox first and open the first clue revealing a Road Block: Who thinks they have this one in the bag? For this Road Block, teams must join a Scottish Pipe band. After assembling a bag pipe, teams must correctly play a note from a traditional Scottish anthem to receive the next clue.

Kim decides to do the Road Block. Spencer and Dusty are close behind and help each other with tips. Kim asks for a check first and immediately gets the thumbs up. She gets on stage, takes a deep breath and successfully plays a note.

Kim & Penn solidify their spot in 1st as they open the next clue directing teams to drive to the Saracen Fountain at Alexandra Park. Ryan & Dusty and Anthony & Spencer remain close behind.

Meanwhile, the other teams are having directional and manual trouble. Some teams miss exits while Ray struggles with driving stick. The frustration stresses both Caro and Ray. Ray pulls over to take a breath. Caro hugs him to try and help him calm down, but he asks her to relax and get off him.

At Saracen Fountain, Kim & Penn open the next clue revealing the Detour: Kilt or Rebuilt. In Kilt, teams must wear full Highland dress and perform a traditional Scottish song. In Rebuilt, teams must work as coopers and properly put a head on two whiskey barrels to seal them.

Kim & Penn easily decide on Kilt while Anthony & Spencer and Ryan & Dusty choose Rebuilt.

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Back at the Road Block, Lala is already in the middle of assembling her bag pipe as Natalia, Raquel and Sam arrive and start.

Natalia ends up the first to finish out of this group of teams and when Sam asks for some help, she stops and points out what he (and Raquel) are doing wrong. Arun tries to call his daughter over to hurry up. Lala, Sam and Raquel finish next and the three teams end up passing the father and daughter on the way to the next Route Marker.

Caro, Isaiah and Akbar are next to arrive at the Road Block. Caro gets the thumbs up and she and Ray leave, also arriving at the fountain before Arun & Natalia.

Over at the theater, Kim & Penn go up on stage for their first attempt and make a mistake. Penn admits he acted like a diva about it. But after getting a refresher on what they did wrong, they eventually get the thumbs up on their second attempt.

Kim & Penn can now make their way to the cloisters at the University of Glasgow, the Pit Stop for this Leg of the Race. Ryan & Dusty and Anthony & Spencer finish the barrels and are also on their way to the Mat.

Connie & Sam, Raquel & Cayla, Caro & Ray and Arun & Natalia arrive at the cooperage and get started. Lulu & Lala head to the theater while Taylor & Isaiah also choose Kilt. Natalia, however, wonders if she and her father should switch Detours. After some hesitation, Arun decides they will.

As the father and daughter leave, Connie & Sam, Raquel & Cayla and Caro & Ray finish the barrels and can leave.

Over at the Pit Stop, Kim & Penn officially check in as Team #1 and win a trip to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Ryan & Dusty and Anthony & Spencer check-in as Teams 2 and 3. Connie & Sam and Caro & Ray finish in 4th and 5th, respectively. Raquel & Cayla are 6th.

Arun & Natalia arrive at the theater just as Lulu & Lala finish and leave. They are able to check-in as Team #7.

Taylor & Isaiah are confident with the performance Detour because of their viral wedding dance. It is now evening when Akbar & Sheri arrive at the theater. Taylor & Isaiah get the thumbs up and are able to check-in at the Pit Stop in 8th. Akbar & Sheri are able to pass Arun & Natalia and head to the Pit Stop in 9th.

On the way to the Pit Stop, an emotional Arun feels responsible for them being in last. Natalia says she is so proud of him. But Arun & Natalia are last and unfortunately eliminated.

Next morning, February 28, 2020. Phil gathers all the teams back in the cloisters for an important announcement. He says the show’s #1 priority is to keep the teams safe. And because the world is currently dealing with the coronavirus, they must suspend the Race. Phil knows the sacrifice the teams have made to be here and hopes they can all come back to resume the Race in the future.

Cayla speaks up and says they are now a new family.

Fast forward 19 months to St. Gallen, Switzerland, five teams (Akbar & Shari, Lulu & Lala, Raquel & Cayla, Ryan & Dusty, Kim & Penn) run to meet Phil to restart the Race.

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Episode Thoughts

So, before we get to the Leg itself, we obviously must talk about the shutdown and restart. The Amazing Race is such a unique show already. That is even more the case during COVID-19. It’s wonderful that they were able to come back in the middle of COVID to finish the Race. It’s sad that some teams were not able to return, but it’s understandable especially in this unprecedented time. We’re all having to learn how to adapt to this new world and new normal on the fly. While real life can definitely change in 19 months.

A bit of a spoiler alert, but based on the preview, it looks like TAR will be bringing Arun & Natalia and Michael & Moe back to fill in for the four teams who were unable to return. A huge opportunity for them. Though unfortunate for Caro & Ray, Taylor & Isaiah, Connie & Sam and Anthony & Spencer. (But apparently, congrats to Connie & Sam for their new baby.)

Anyway, it’ll be interesting to see how the COVID protocols and bubble production will affect the Race. That of course includes the charter plane, though I don’t think that will really change things too much. We’ll see!

Back to this Leg. I thought it was a pretty good Leg. A nice first visit to Glasgow. It’s really a wonder that the show hadn’t visited Glasgow yet in 32 seasons. But it was a good Leg that included good local flavor. A bit barebones, as is usually the case for modern TAR. (Though there seems to be a deleted task somewhere during this Leg.)

But it was competitive enough, even though the editing didn’t really maximize that dynamic as well as they could have. I feel like this episode was just leading in to the big moment at the end. Especially as the Race will restart, almost fresh next Leg, there was a bit of this “filler” feeling to this Leg.

Still, the Road Block was pretty good. I would’ve liked to have seen a bit more to the performing aspect. But then again, the Detour had another performing task as well.

For the Detour, I felt a bit of déjà vu because I thought TAR had already done the barrel task in a recent season. But I realized I was remembering *shudder* TARAu5. Lol The TARAu5 task though I think was a bit harder and more challenging. But it was alright here.

Not sure how truly difficult the performing side of the Detour was. (And it was a great task, especially performing with awesome local kids.) But I guess considering the barrels were not that difficult either, I will assume this is a balanced Detour. Which is why Arun & Natalia’s switch doomed them (for now).

Overall, it was a solid Leg. But I think this episode will definitely be remembered for those last few minutes. Next week will give us our first look at what The Amazing Race will be looking like for the foreseeable future. Even beyond this season.

My Subjective Team Rankings

I still feel the same about the teams this week. They’re all pretty good and it’s been fun to see them competing against one another. We’re able to get good competition and everyone’s played their part. Some more than others, of course.

Kim & Penn are definitely a very fun team. Again, I feel like they’re the parents team we used to always get back in the early days of TAR. They’re fun, but they’re also competitive. And they’re definitely positioning themselves into a good spot on the Race.

Arun & Natalia, unexpectedly, stepped out into the spotlight this episode. Mostly for two things. First, was the inadvertent shade thrown toward the season that must not be named… nah, let’s name it: TAR32. I cringed when Natalia literally stopped in her tracks just to help the other teams only to get passed on the way to the next Route Marker. If ever there was an example of what not to do, it was that. Not an alliance per se, but shades of TAR32 indeed. But I more enjoyed the shade thrown at TAR32 by showing that being too helpful to other teams can actually end up hurting you in the end.

Helping the other teams isn’t what eliminated Arun & Natalia. But other teams were able to get ahead of them because of it. It was nice to see them, or at least Natalia, realize that perhaps being too nice isn’t always the right thing to do. Arun also wanting Natalia to hurry up was good to see as well.

The other thing that got them into the forefront was their choice to switch Detours. That’s definitely what eliminated them. And I think they probably could’ve stuck with the barrels if they just calmed down a bit. But they made the decision and were ultimately eliminated for it. … For now.

Caro & Ray definitely helped to deliver some of that great dysfunctional couple dynamic this Leg. What a moment to have Ray just stop the car and get out to calm himself down. Their relationship is very unique. I think unique even to the various Big Brother and Survivor couples who end up on TAR. So them being on the Race is almost an extension of Love Island. They’re still getting to know each other and that will obviously lead to some tense moments and frustration. But when it comes to tasks, they do quite well.

I like Lulu & Lala. I really think they’ll be great underdogs to root for. I can seem them slowly, but surely making their way higher in the ranks. Akbar & Sheri, meanwhile, are a team you really want to root for. But they’ve struggled a bit with directions and that’s definitely a concern moving forward with the Race moving towards more self-driving. It’ll be a great story though to see them overcome their biggest weakness so far.

Connie & Sam have really stepped it up since that shaky start in London and are also positioning themselves well for the future Legs. (…) Taylor & Isaiah, meanwhile, have been the most invisible team so far through three Legs. Their only screentime this episode was a repeat of their introduction in episode one about their viral video. I feel like they are much more interesting than just that. So it’s a bit sad to see them not getting too much focus now.

Anthony & Spencer, Ryan & Dusty and Raquel & Cayla feel like top contenders as well. And perhaps the most Racebot-ish of all the teams. Over three episodes, all three teams’ main focus has been how well they’ve done. So they’re really the ones to beat, I think, moving forward.

Episode Quotes

Ray: “Please get off me.”

Penn: “I turned into a little bit of a diva.”

Phil: “You guys smell like barrels.”

Natalia: “I guess the good karma helping other teams wasn’t actually good karma.”