Recap: The Amazing Race 33, Episode 9 – “This is like watching a horror movie.”

Recap: The Amazing Race 33, Episode 09 – Rock Bottom

The remaining teams will get to choose where to stay tonight by using the “fast and easy” Travelocity app. After their wonderful sponsored stay, teams begin the 9th Leg at Kallikrateia Port. Kim & Penn and Raquel & Cayla depart at 9am and open the clue telling them to drive to Thessaloniki. Ryan & Dusty and Arun & Natalia depart at 9:15am.

Teams will find their next clue at Theatro Dassous. And that clue is a Road Block: Who will leave no stone unturned? For this Road Block, teams must turn over stones in the amphitheater until they find one of four gold coins underneath which they must present to the “Oracle of Delphi” to exchange for the next clue.

Kim gets started while the other three teams have a bit of trouble getting here. Once they do, Raquel. Dusty and Arun choose to do the Road Block. The teams actually pass the correct stones, but don’t see them.

Raquel is the first one to find a coin and the Oracle hands them the next clue telling teams to find “Socrates” at the Trigonion Tower. Kim is next to find a coin followed by Arun. That leaves Dusty behind and goes on flipping stones for at least two and a half hours.

Raquel & Cayla arrive at the tower and listen to Socrates’s words of wisdom before he hands the next clue revealing the Detour: Bring ‘Em or Break ‘Em. In Bring ‘Em, teams must deliver 300 plates to Café Jasmine to receive the next clue. In Break ‘Em, teams must break plates to find a clue inside, but only while the band is playing. The mini-clue reveals the location of the next Pit Stop: White Tower.

Raquel & Cayla choose smashing and find the clue. They run to the Pit Stop where they are greeted by “Diogenes the Cynic” and Phil who tells them they’ve won a trip to Kawaii.

Kim & Penn also choose smashing, get the clue and head to the Mat to check-in as Team #2.

Meanwhile, Ryan tries to calm Dusty down as he has grown frustrated. They take in the view for a little bit and it helps. After three hours, Dusty finally finds the coin and they can continue with the Leg.

After running around the tower complex, a testy Arun & Natalia finally find Socrates. They choose the smashing and search for the restaurant. Ryan & Dusty, in last, also choose smashing.

It appears to be a footrace to the Pit Stop. A dog joins Ryan & Dusty for a little bit.

But Arun & Natalia check-in as Team #3. That means Ryan & Dusty are last. But this is a Non-Elimination Leg.

Episode Thoughts

It’s a bit of a tense evening in the world tonight. And watching The Amazing Race which is a show that is supposed to bring the world into our own homes every week definitely feels a bit weird and sad as well. But before we get to talking about the episode, just wanted to offer up prayers for peace and safety to the people of Ukraine at this hour.

So, this episode was actually pretty good even though it was pretty obvious that it was a Non-Elimination Leg. Obviously, there’s been a lot of Non-Elims this season, but that’s unavoidable of course. And it’s finally confirmed that this will be an 11 Leg season as well.

Already only the final four teams, we know there had to be at least one more Non-Elimination Leg. And when this Leg began with that needle in a haystack Road Block, I think it pretty much solidified that. TAR would never have another task like that determine an elimination knowing what’s happened before. They’ll have a task like that merely for dramatic purposes. And in this episode, it was certainly dramatic.

What would’ve made it even more so would have been to have more than four teams scrambling and growing frustrated. Chaos!

This Leg definitely had a lot of costumed local actors which was interesting to see. It’s a bit whimsical, I guess.

The Detour was pretty straightforward and you know everyone was going to choose the smashing over having to carry the plates. But I guess one could reason having two needle in a haystack tasks in the same Leg would be overdoing it. Even more reason to make this a Non-Elimination Leg then.

So while a predictable ending (and some really bad, contrived editing too), it was a fun episode to watch play out. Just a bit of a breather for next week’s two-hour finale.

My Subjective Team Rankings

Again, I wouldn’t mind any four of these teams to win. I’m rooting for Arun & Natalia the most. Yes, they’ve been very lucky so far. But it’s always fun to root for the underdog.

Kim & Penn have been really one of the most dynamic teams in the last few years. They’ve offered up so much in terms of Racing and personality. It’s really quite refreshing.

Ryan & Dusty also had some great character moments in this episode. Getting to know them on a more personal level was very welcome, especially as they faced their biggest challenge yet.

Raquel & Cayla were due for a win and this was definitely the Leg for them to get it. The preview spoiled how well they’ll do in the finale. But it’s also not too surprising either. They are a strong, solid team most of the time.

Episode Quotes

Penn: “You’re a good looker… you’re good looking.”

Kim: “This is the worse spa ever.”

Oracle: “Leave no stone unturned!”

Arun: “Oh God, I should’ve prayed today. But I didn’t”
Raquel: “I did pray.”
Arun: “Good for you then.”

Cayla: “This is like watching a horror movie.”

Socrates: “There is only one good… knowledge. And one evil… ignorance.”

Arun: “Nat, I can’t understand one word… You’re speaking in Greek, or what?”