Recap: The Amazing Race Australia 7 (Celebrity Edition), Episode 5 – “Nothing better than some drunk Australians to give you some pep.”

The teams continue Racing and must now drive to Crab Farm Langkawi and catch five mud crabs to receive the next clue.

Darren & Tristan work to maintain their lead and are able to do so when they realize they have to leave their traps in the water for a while in order to draw the crabs in. The other teams’ methods are a bit slower as they scare the crabs away when they toss their traps in.

After Darren & Tristan, Jana & Cor, Harry & Teddy, Emma & Hayley and Ben & Jackie are next to finish. Alli & Angie and Bec & Kate follow with George & Pam still in last place.

After getting their five crabs approved, teams must sell them for 100 ringgits at Chenang Beach. Cor gets a little frustrated with his mum for not listening to him about selling the crabs at restaurants.

After selling their crabs, teams camp out on the beach for the night in order to catch their flight to Penang in the morning. Darren is not happy about this. Neither are Harry & Teddy or Bec.

Meanwhile, George has Pam flirt with a pair of Aussies to finally get their crabs sold. And they head to the campsite where everyone waits for George to use his Survivor skills to lead the dinner cooking. George is excited for this camping since he feels being in his element will reenergize him and Pam for tomorrow’s Race resumption.

The teams all eventually settle in and embrace this neat experience. They spend time with each other, hang out and chat and remind themselves why they are all doing the Race to begin with. Harry & Teddy tell Cor how they are impressed with how he’s handling the Race at 16 years old. Jana expresses to Bec & Kate how proud she is of her son. Kate hopes to come on the Race with her own son in the future too.

Next morning, teams fly to Penang and leave the airport in the order they arrived at the campsite. And their first clue in Penang is a Detour: Piles of Tiles or Burn Your Boat. In Piles of Tiles teams must sort through jumbled Mahjong tiles to create one complete set. In Burn Your Boat, teams must make joss paper ingots or paper boats and set fire to them according to local tradition.

The clue also gives teams 100 ringgit or $32 for this Leg(?) of the Race.

Darren & Tristan, Jana & Cor and Emma & Hayley choose the Mahjong while an upset Harry & Teddy decide to “set some shit on fire.” Bec & Kate choose the ingots, Ben & Jackie choose the tiles and Alli & Angie and George & Pam also head to the paper boats.

Between the two Detours, Alli & Angie get the thumbs up for their ingots and they burn them while thinking about their nana, according to Malaysian tradition. They open the next clue telling teams to head to Carnarvon Street Food Market to pick up some Bachang on the way to meet Beau at the Pit Stop at Pinang Peranakan Mansion.

Bec & Kate are next to finish their ingots and think of their family and friend Nicole who had cancer and established a charity for cancer patients which is who they are Racing for.

At the Mahjong, Jana & Cor get the thumbs up on their tiles with their first attempt.

It’s a footrace for first place between the three leading teams. And it is Alli & Angie who step on the Mat in first with Bec & Kate right next to them to finish as Team #2. The daughter and mum get their hotel upgrade for the night.

Jana & Cor have to settle for 3rd.

Back at the Detour, George & Pam finish their ingots next with Harry & Teddy right behind them.

Darren & Tristan, frustrated with the task, look for someone walking by who might be familiar with Mahjong. When a lady named Maggie comes over to point things out to them, they finally get the thumbs up on their 10th attempt.

Darren & Tristan run into George & Pam buying Bachang and they begin to feel worried about their position now. It’s another three-way Race to the Pit Stop. And it is George & Pam who step on the Mat as Team #4.

Darren & Tristan settle for 5th and Harry & Teddy take 6th.

It’s down to the last two teams. Emma & Hayley get the thumbs up on their 12 attempt. Ben & Jackie get it on their 14th attempt.

And it is Emma & Hayley who arrive at the Stop as Team #7. That means Ben & Jackie are unfortunately last and eliminated.

Episode Thoughts

This was a really interesting episode. The crab catching and selling was alright. They probably could’ve squeezed that task into the last episode lol.

But then the episode spent a lot of time with the teams camping. And I don’t know why, but it felt like it went on for a loooong time. I mean, sure, it was nice to see teams interacting and go from being annoyed at the non-luxurious amenities to then appreciating the experience of the Race. As well as remembering the charities they are Racing for. But it almost felt like the rest of the episode was going to be some kind of “Celebs roughing it” documentary or something. Really strange feeling lolol

So that took care of half of the 65-minute episode (without commercials).

But then even more interesting was what actually took place in Penang. The show made it seem like the Racers opened the Detour clue right at the airport. And Beau mentioned the flight to Penang was in the morning. But then it quickly became dark while teams were doing the Detour.

Huh?!

Talk about strange! I assume there was another task between the airport and the Detour. But then I have to point out the Detour clue specifically showing that it was giving teams money for this Leg(?) or I think it was something about the “Pit Stop”.

Probably money to buy the Bachang. But it was weird because when I saw that money part of the Detour clue, I thought that would be the first clue of the new Leg.

Darren & Tristan did mention some flight delay I think and having to listen to George’s Survivor stories. But then the Leg designed seemed to really have teams completing the Detour and arriving at the Pit Stop in the evening after dark. So the sense of time really felt so odd this episode.

But all that aside, I somehow still enjoyed this episode very much. (Much more than TAR35 lol) It was fun. The crabs and then the Detour were solid tasks. And Beau’s interactions with the Pit Stop Greeter were actually probably the best he’s ever had on the show so far. And really, one of the best Pit Stop Greeters ever! “Mama Mafia!”

So while there might be a lot of odd, strange things I could easily nitpick about, I still greatly enjoyed this episode. And Network 10 and TARAu are somehow continuing to amaze me. I never thought I’d see the day!

Team Thoughts

So happy to see Alli & Angie win the Leg! Such a well-deserved win. I was really excited to see them take it. But I also would’ve been happy to see Bec & Kate win as well. They are such interesting personalities. It’s funny how I believe their sincerity more about being TAR fans than when they complain or whine about not being pampered. (And then I stumble upon a DailyMail article about Bec being a huge diva on TARAu behind the scenes lol)

I was so worried about Emma & Hayley though. Definitely stumbled with the Detour. But I would love to see any of these teams be the first FF team to win TARAu.

Sad to see Ben & Jackie go. They really had the biggest 180 for me during their time. I thought they would be the most stereotypical celeb team at first. But it was really great to see their humble sides come out and take over. I thought they were hitting their stride too. Too bad.

Jana & Cor are continuing to do well. And it’s interesting how the show is really focusing on Cor being so young and having to basically grow up during the Race. Might be a clue to a potential endgame storyline?! Harry & Teddy have been doing okay, but definitely not in top form like how they started the Race. Good to see Darren & Tristan be humbled a bit by this Leg.

And George & Pam were probably the best and most likeable they’ve been so far this Race. I like George’s attitude about recharging and having to really step up. And they did this Leg. Well, they chose the right Detour I guess. Lol

Episode Quotes

Pam: “Of course the Aussies saved us!”

Teddy: “I was so dumb at 16.”

Sign: “No durians allowed.”

Teddy: “Let’s set some shit on fire. I’m angry.”

Beau: “I was famous about 10 years ago. 12 years go. 14 years ago.”

George: “Don’t listen to Danish tourists!”

Beau: “What’s your coffee order?”
“Mama Mafia”: “Definitely not luwak, which is the civet cat shit. Guaranteed to taste like shit.”

Ben: “Jackie, I’m losing my pants.”

Ben: “Nothing better than some drunk Australians to give you some pep.”