Recap: The Amazing Race Australia 6, Episode 11 – “I’m sorry your boyfriend is too big.”

Beau says he is all clear and is packing to rejoin the Race. In the meantime, the 11th Leg begins with clues telling teams to fly to Medellin, Colombia. Once known as the murder capital of the world, it is now a friendly city.

Upon arrival in Medellin, teams hop into taxis to make their way to El Penol. Teams will climb up 700 steps to get to the summit of the rock formation.

On the way to El Penol, Jamus is too heavy and the taxi’s tire has been scraped to the rim. They have to pull over and fall behind as other teams get to the rock. The driver uses Google translate to tell Jamus to move to the front of the car instead.

Angel & Frankie and Flick & Gabby keep their lead as they make the long climb to the thin air at the top.

The summit clue reveals a Detour: Bunch or Brew. In Bunch, teams will mount flowers onto a frame for an arrangement known as silletas for the flower festival. When they can wear the arrangement on their backs, they’ll get the next clue. In Brew, teams must search through a 9kg sack of coffee beans to locate five beans with letters needed to spell AROMA.

Flick & Gabby help Chelsea overcome her claustrophobia in the narrow stairs. But later when they get back down, Chelsea & Jamus cannot find their taxi. And their frustration grows once again.

Health & Toni arrive at the flowers in 2nd place, shocked to see Angel & Frankie for the first time. Stuart & Glennon arrive next while Flick & Gabby are stuck in traffic.

Pako & Mori choose coffee and start out slow before getting their letters. Flick & Gabby arrive and are surprised to see all the teams there. They end up going to the coffee where the Hubbies tell them the word they are looking for is AROMA.

Angel & Frankie are the first team to finish the flower arrangement and they decide to let Stuart & Glennon submit their work as their own as a nice gesture. Heath & Toni go for a check, but get the thumbs down. When Stuart & Glennon get approved, Team Enduring Love cannot believe it. They are rightfully pissed off that it was even allowed.

Meanwhile, Flick & Gabby leave the Detour just as Chelsea & Jamus arrive in last place. After finding three letters, they decide to just take the time penalty when it takes too long and it’s already gotten dark.

After the Detour, teams will encounter the Road Block: Who’s ready to get served? For this Road Block, teams will head to Parque de la Bola where they will eat eyeball salad and pig intestine and tongue.

Pako, Frankie and Glennon get started with their meal. But Pako & Mori maintain their lead and can now walk to the Pit Stop at Fonda Family 13 at the top of Comuna 13, once an illegal slum, now a vibrant community.

Flick & Gabby arrive at the Road Block before Heath & Toni and Gabby starts eating. Heath & Toni are shocked to see themselves in 5th, but Toni must get on with the Road Block as well even though she is vegan. Chelsea & Jamus arrive and Jamus gets started.

At the Mat, Pako & Mori officially check-in as Team #1 and win $5000 from Andoo. Stuart & Glennon are 2nd, but because they did not complete the Bunch Detour, they get a 15 minute penalty. A defeated-feeling Angel & Frankie are officially Team #2 and are shocked that the Baru Mates have gotten a penalty.

Jamus speeds through the meal and he and Chelsea head to the Pit Stop. But they have to serve out a 10-minute penalty for quitting the Detour.

Stuart & Glennon’s penalty is done and can officially check-in as Team #3. Flick & Gabby take 4th. Chelsea & Jamus’ penalty is over and they are officially Team #5.

That means Heath & Toni are last. But this is a Non-Elimination Leg.

Episode Thoughts

The most normal-looking Leg of the Race and it ends up being a Non-Elimination. Though it was pretty obvious halfway through.

Alright, let’s start with this episode’s absurd moments. (Seems to be a recurring thing on TARAu.) The penalties so far this season have already been pretty bad. But the penalties this Leg were hilariously absurd. 15 minutes for cheating and 10 minutes for quitting the Detour. WTF?

I mean, we all know Network 10’s TARAu likes to play fast and loose with rules. But the penalty times now seem absolutely arbitrary. They truly are coming up with random rules as they go. It is insane. And a total mess.

But let’s remember that Network 10 TARAu had been blind to such cheating. It happened last year with the cheese and earlier this season with the seafood. (With Stuart & Glennon on the other end that time.) No penalties, but they decide to do it now. They should’ve flagged Stuart & Glennon at the Detour and not given them the clue.

As an American, am I missing something in translation? Is this typical of Australian reality shows? Or maybe just Network 10 shows? Because Seven’s TARAu was never like this.

Anyway, it’s just more things on TARAu to roll your eyes at.

As for the Leg itself. The climb up to the top of El Penol was a great task to start the Leg. A wonderful location that I think should’ve been used a little more. Maybe an exhausting task at the summit.

The Detour was actually not bad this time. On paper, it looked like another unbalanced Detour. But the coffee beans ended up being evenly matched with the flowers.

The Road Block was a simple “gross” eating task. Not the most creative, but it’s whatever I guess. Especially since this was a Non-Elimination.

So, overall, this Leg felt the most “normal.” But leave it up to TARAu to find a way to ruin it somehow.

Team Thoughts

So disappointed in Angel & Frankie. Desperate for everyone’s acceptance, they go and basically initiate Stuart & Glennon’s cheating. I was rooting for them. But I don’t know anymore if they think that’s a good Race move. Angel mentioned yesterday how she didn’t like winning if it meant other people disliked them. What? Then just quit and let the other teams win then if you feel so bad about it.

Anyway, that means Flick & Gabby are my sole #1s from now on. They’re stumbling a bit, but I know they have what it takes to get back to the top.

I want to root for messy, but hilarious Chelsea & Jamus. But I definitely did not like them quitting the Detour. On one hand, I don’t blame them when quitting is the best strategy over actually completing tasks. But at the same time, the other teams had no trouble with it. Or they could’ve just done the flowers instead. Especially when they were so positive at that time.

Pako & Mori return to the winner’s circle after a couple of poor Legs. And Heath & Toni survive and I think it’s deserved.

Stuart & Glennon though. They’ve already done this cheating stuff once by being the nice team before. But them thinking that doing what they did was actually a good thing? Nope. Horrible.

Episode Quotes

Chelsea: “This is going to be so tight. How are you going to fit? Oh my God!”

Taxi Driver: “I’m sorry your boyfriend is too big.”

Chelsea: “I don’t want you to speak to me at all.”

Flick: “Use your chompers.”