The Penultimate Leg of this 56 Leg Race has teams first taking a ferry to Rottnest Island. While on the boat, teams open the Road Block clue: Who’s ready to drop?
For this Road Block, teams use a Segway to get to the airfield where they will board a plane in order to skydive 15 thousand feet.
Heath, Georgia, Frankie and Cynthia decide to skydive.
Afterwards, teams can make their way to Gage Roads Brewing Company back on Victoria Quay and transport half a tonne of malt in 20 sacks from the loading dock to inside the brewery. Then, like the late PM Bob Hawke, they can drink a yard glass of (non-alcoholic) beer to receive the next clue.
All four teams make the same ferry back to Fremantle and are slowly released one after the other before starting the task.
Angel & Frankie are able to catch up to Heath & Toni who maintain first with Kelly & Georgia close behind. While Tiffany & Cynthia are drinking their beer, they notice a team (Kelly & Georgia) have left their bumbag and they know that you can’t check-in at the Pit Stop without it. The auntie and niece think this is their chance.
After the beers, teams can make their way to the Fremantle Round House. They must collect a tray of prison rations including bread, Spam and lime juice to prevent skurvy. Then, one team member will become a prison officer and lock their teammate in the stocks before then hurling the food at them from behind a line. When the prisoner can catch a piece of bread and Spam in their mouth and finish it off with the juice, they will ring the curfew bell to receive the next clue.
All four teams are at the stocks. Heath and Toni decide to switch positions with Heath in the stocks instead. But Angel has a better idea. She instead puts her head into the stocks upside down so she can catch the food from above. The other teams copy her.
Kelly & Georgia move into first place with Angel & Frankie and Heath & Toni next. Tiffany & Cynthia hold on to the fact that a team has to go back to get their bumbag.
Teams must now look for the statue of AC/DC frontman Bon Scott for the next clue which reveals the Pit Stop location: South Mole Lighthouse.
After Kelly & Georgia open the clue, they realize they left their bumbag in the potter at the brewery. Georgia says they have to go back to get it or will face a penalty. Kelly says that is absurd, but Georgia insists. After they retrieve it, it’s now a four-way footrace to the Mat.
Kelly & Georgia, Frankie & Angel and Heath & Toni officially claim their spot in the finale. Tiffany & Cynthia are last and eliminated.
Episode Thoughts
When I think of Penultimate Legs, I always hope it is essentially a Final Leg-lite. Have tougher challenges and tasks than the normal Leg. For me, I feel like this Leg was almost less than a normal TARAu6 Leg, to be honest.
I appreciate all the on-foot-ness of the Leg. And the tasks on their own were fine, if not a bit processional. Hence teams staying in the same order save for having to toss food into your partner’s mouth.
First though, were they staggering the teams out of the ferry after the skydiving? What is the point of that? Have them all run out of the ferry at the same time. It’s just like during that Hours of Operation at the cemetery in Mexico. Apparently, teams were let out in the same order from the hotel instead of having teams gather at the cemetery whenever they want. I don’t think that has to do with COVID concerns. So really, it’s just TARAu again forcing artificial and contrived results.
Yes, it was a very close footrace to the Mat. But it’s not exciting when you just saw how they got there. There’s a big difference between an organically close finish vs. whatever TARAu is doing.
Anyway, it’s almost over. Just one Leg left. Thank goodness.
Episode Quotes
Angel: “No, we’re just friends.”