Recap: The Amazing Race 34, Episode 8 – “I would kiss you if it weren’t for COVID.”

Recap: The Amazing Race 34, Episode 8 – La Ville Rose

After teams promote the Expedia app by using it to “book” their lodging for the night, the 7th Leg begins the next morning at 8am. The two sibling teams open the first clue telling them to drive to Toulouse. At 8:15am, Derek & Claire and Luis & Michelle team up to find out where to go first. Quinton & Mattie and Aubrey & David start the Leg at 8:30am.

Upon arrival in Toulouse, teams must search for Stade Ernest-Wallon, home stadium of rugby club Stade Toulousain. Marcus gives Michael the wrong direction on the freeway. That allows Emily & Molly to arrive first. They open the next clue which reveals the Road Block: Who’s ready to take one for the team?

For this Road Block, teams will perform rugby drills which include tackling, rolling on the ground, picking up balls, tossing and catching balls and then scoring a goal with a dropkick.

With Emily still nursing her leg, Molly decides to do the Road Block. She goes for her first attempt, but fails to score a goal. She finally gets it on her 6th attempt and the sisters leave before any other team even arrives.

The next clue points teams to Couvent des Jacobins where they must find the musician playing a French horn who will give them the next clue.

Luis & Michelle and Derek & Claire arrive next with Marcus & Michael right behind them. Luis, Claire and Marcus decide to do the Road Block. Luis finishes on his first attempt, as does Claire. Marcus, however, is unable to score on his first attempt and struggles with the kick.

Meanwhile, Emily & Molly get trapped in a parking garage and have to figure out how to pay first with cash before they can get back on track. That allows Luis & Michelle and Derek & Claire to arrive at the convent first.

The French horn player gives them the next clue revealing the Detour: Say Six or Lay Bricks. In Say Six, teams must learn and perform three portions of a French poem. They must first search for three poets scattered around the basilica to learn each portion. In Lay Bricks, teams must lay Toulouse’s uniquely pink-hued bricks in the correct pattern according to an example.

Luis & Michelle and Derek & Claire both choose the poem. Derek took four years of high school French, so he is confident in choosing it. But the poem isn’t as easy as he anticipated. Luis & Michelle decide to just switch to the bricks.

Emily & Molly arrive at the convent and choose the bricks. They catch up to Luis & Michelle as they get started.

Back at the Road Block, Marcus finally passes on his 7th attempt. They leave just as Aubrey & David arrive. Aubrey decides to do the Road Block and scores on her 4th attempt. They leave just as Quinton & Mattie arrive. Quinton chooses to do the Road Block and gets it on his first attempt.

Over at the cloisters, Marcus & Michael and Aubrey & David both choose to do the poem. Quinton & Mattie, already in last, grow frustrated as they have to navigate the intricate streets. They choose to do the poem as well.

Derek & Claire go for their first attempt, but Derek misses a word. They go back around before attempting another recital. The poet gives them the thumbs up and hands them the next clue. Derek & Claire can make their way to the Pit Stop on Pays D’oc on Canal de Brienne. They claim the Leg win and Expedia reward points good enough for a trip to Bangkok.

Luis & Michelle and Emily & Molly both get the thumbs up on the pattern. They are told to lay sand in between the bricks before getting the next clue. They finish as teams 2 and 3, respectively. Emily gets emotional as she thinks about her daughter.

Aubrey & David fail their first recital, but Marcus & Michael get the thumbs up. The military brothers finish as Team #4.

It’s down to the last two teams. And it is Aubrey & David who get the thumbs up and finish the Leg as Team #5. That means Quinton & Mattie are last and eliminated.

Episode Thoughts

It was an okay Leg and episode.

I think this was the first rugby task on TARUS in its 34 seasons? So strange. You’d think they would’ve done it earlier. But anyway, it was a good Road Block. Easy and straightforward. Teams just had to get through it.

The Detour was okay. The poem was another memorization task. So another task I would fail miserably at. Lol So the brick laying would be my choice. And it was also one of those tasks where you just need to get through it. Attention to detail, sure. But as long as you understood what was going on, you just had to lay the bricks down.

I like teams having to use big maps and not Google Maps, mind you. Real paper maps too. It’s actually quite refreshing in this modern day and age. And for sure, it can add an extra challenge for teams.

Overall, it was an okay episode and Leg. Another not too-memorable Leg. But it’s so interesting to give TAR a pass in this COVID Era. Because definitely in normal circumstances, this barebones Leg would not cut it. But it was alright in the present context.

Team Thoughts

All the teams were fine this episode. I can see that Emily’s leg will probably be bothering her for a while on the Race. I hope Emily & Molly can still do well in spite of it. And that little moment at the Mat with Emily thinking of her daughter makes me think that the show is setting up something big and emotional for them in the future. We’ll see!

A good win for Derek & Claire. Like I said, memorization would not be the task for me. But it was for them and they were able to win because of it. Luis & Michelle maintained their spot in the top group. But Marcus & Michael are really not Racing at the level they showed they were capable of at first. It’s very interesting.

Aubrey & David did okay. But they didn’t seem to find themselves a spot to move up more. And in such a close Leg with not many opportunities to do that, it kept them in the back and ultimately eliminated Quinton & Mattie. They were a good team, but not much focus at all and because of that, not too much of a loss at this point.

Episode Quotes

Claire: “Memorize it in French please!”

Quinton: “I would kiss you if it weren’t for COVID.”