All teams are on the same flights from Prince Rupert to Vancouver and then to Toronto where they need to catch a cab to Hamilton. Once they get to Hamilton they need to find the main branch of BMO for a special video clue. Everyone races out of the airport and Julie & Lowell are surprised to actually get out ahead of everyone else, especially Steph & Kristen whom they've only ever seen from behind.
Julie & Lowell are also the first to the BMO main office in Hamilton to receive the video clue from their family at home. They're now off to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum to find their next clue. Steph & Kristen arrive just as they leave and are right behind, then Frankie & Amy are moving up the ranks.
When Julie & Lowell and Steph & Kristen arrive at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum they find the Roadblock. One team member must take to the skies and actually fly an authentic warplane in a controlled turn. Good thing they'll actually have a licensed pilot with them to get them off the ground and land. This is a challenge that I'd probably be too tall for so Wayne would get to do it.
Steph was really surprised to find out that they'd actually be flying a real plane and not just a simulator and she's the first in the air but her attempt failed. That made way for Julie who also failed and then needed the air sickness bag to remove a little biological spillage. Eww!
Rita & Yvette get the video clue from their mom and sister and are off to the Roadblock, as are Emmett & Jillian right beside them. When Frankie & Amy get the clue they arrive at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and decide to use the Express Pass rather than fly a plane and they are off to the Bayfront Park where they'll each need to ride a bike and follow a trail to a kayak then row across the harbour and up the climbing wall in an MEC sponsored challenge to get their next clue.
On the ground at the museum Lowell mentions that Frankie & Amy ran in and ran out again so they must have used an Express Pass and when Emmett hears that he's wondering how they got one and who gave it to them. Kristen is doing her best at looking confused while Emmett tries to piece it together, thinking that maybe one of the eliminated teams had given it to them.
While Emmett works himself up trying to figure it out Joel & Ashley finally get the video clue from Ashley's mom and are off to join the others at the museum. Meanwhile, Frankie & Amy arrive at the Bayfront Park and start biking, which is not one of Frankie's strong suits apparently.
Ashley chooses to do the Roadblock and makes a deal with Kristen not to tell anyone about the Express Pass as long as Kristen & Steph agree not to U-Turn them. While they make the deal, Steph completes the Roadblock on her second attempt and they're out to catch up to Frankie & Amy, who are now on the water and struggling not to tip over.
Julie completes her second attempt then she gets sick again but the pilot tells her she did okay. As Julie comes in for a landing Jillian gets started on her first attempt and she nails it. Jillian can be pretty focused when she doesn't have Emmett distracting her and together they are definitely a competitive couple.
While those two teams race to catch up, Frankie & Amy arrive at the climbing wall and start climbing. As they go up one at a time, Rita hits the skies . . . and starts to panic which leads to a failed first attempt. Ashley's first attempt in the air also failed for pretty much the same reason. With so many team members afraid of heights it was fairly obvious there would be a lot of challenges forcing them to face that fear.
When Jillian & Emmett arrive at Dry Dock Jillian gets a little aggravated with Emmett trying to teach her how to weld. I don't see the problem here since he actually knows how to weld but Jillian is a bit stubborn about some things and being taught by Emmett appears to be one of them. As Jillian barks and Emmett tries to maintain his cool, Steph & Kristen call for a check and one of them passes but not the other.
Over at the craft beer store Julie & Lowell start recreating their label. It's pretty much all up to Julie because Lowell's vision isn't going to be much help on a detailed stencil task. At least they know enough to separate the stencils and take note of the fine details rather than just racing ahead.
It's no surprise that Emmett nails the welding challenge while Jillian fails. Maybe she should've listened. At least they're doing better than Frankie & Amy who's fifth attempt is worse than their first and they're starting to realize that they may have used the Express Pass too soon. Wayne and I both agreed that they should have held on to it for something they couldn't do rather than just using it to get ahead, but that's the risk you take.
Frankie and Amy had no problem with the height of the wall and are now off to the Detour: Dry Dock or Art Rock. In Dry Dock, teams must each repair 8" long pieces of a ships hull to create an airtight seal at Heddle Marine Service. (Actually they're just welding two steel plates but you get the idea.) In Art Rock, teams must recreate a large craft beer label (about 36"x24") using stencils and spray paint while listening to a live band at a craft beer store. This is a classic Gord & Wayne task, . . . art, music, and beer. However, Frankie & Amy choose Dry Dock.
Rita nails her second attempt in the air, as does Ashley and both teams are now off to the Bayfront Park where we find Julie & Lowell and Emmett & Jillian arriving and beginning the challenge. It's a quick and easy task, and one that Lowell is really enjoying as he's training for the Paralympics in a bike event. His eyesight may be waning but this guy certainly has vision.
Frankie & Amy hit the Dry Dock challenge at Heddle Marine Services only to discover that welding isn't easy. As the mother and daughter get started Steph uses her head to ring the bell and Steph & Kristen also choose Dry Dock.
This is turning out to be a really bad leg for Joel & Ashley who have ended up at the wrong location when their cabbie drops them at the Hamilton Yacht Club, putting them even further behind. Fortunately they get directions from the staff and are back on track, . . . as long as their driver has a clue where he's going, which I'm not sure he does.
Welding up a storm, Frankie & Amy fail their first attempt but it was close, there were only a few air bubbles when the guy tested their welds. While they get ready to try again we cut back to the climbing wall where Jillian rings the bell, then Julie rings the bell, then Emmett goes up and rings the bell and finally Lowell heads up. Emmett hollers encouragement to him as he and Jillian head off to the Detour and it can't hurt because Lowell needs to reach for each handhold because he can't really see them. Eventually he makes his way to the top and stumbles upon the bell and they're off. Jillian & Emmett choose Dry Dock, while Julie & Lowell choose Art Rock.
While Frankie & Amy get ready to try again, Steph & Kristen complete the Detour on their third attempt, receive their next clue, and are on their way to Dundurn Castle and the sixth Pit Stop for the race. As they head off for a second first place finish Ashley conquers her fear of heights and rings the bell. Joel & Ashley are now on their way to Art Rock, where we find Julie & Lowell have mixed up the order of the colours and had to respray the yellow to get the right order as Rita & Yvette arrive. Meanwhile, with a little bit of Emmett's guidance, Jillian gets her welding done while Frankie & Amy fail again.
Julie & Lowell have just sprayed on their last colour and called for a check when Julie points out that Lowell is blind which may have swayed the judge a little as they get their next clue. I don't think it swayed him that much though because, aside from a few smudges, they got it right. They're on their way to the Pit Stop at Dundurn Castle.
Unfortunately, Joel & Ashley are creating a hot mess at Art Rock by mixing two colours on one stencil while Frankie & Amy have failed their 8th attempt and finally decide to switch tasks. That may be the only thing that saves Joel & Ashley in this leg, but not if they keep making such stupid mistakes.
At Dundurn Castle, Steph & Kristen are the first team to arrive and have won a five night trip to Delhi, India courtesy of hotels.com and they have also gotten their next clue to travel to Kingston, Ontario because this is a continuing leg, (which means no exit interviews by Gord & Wayne again this week). They need to catch a GO train from Hamilton to Toronto, and then another from Toronto to Kingston.
Jillian & Emmett are the second team to arrive at Dundurn Castle and they're looking to catch up to Steph & Kristen when Jon gives them their next clue. Unfortunately they just missed the first train and that gives Steph & Kristen a nice lead going into the next leg. Julie & Lowell are surprised to be the third team to arrive and off they go, right behind Jillian & Emmett.
Jumping back to the craft beer store, Joel & Ashley make another mistake while Frankie & Amy get the okay on their art and head out, but not before grabbing a few brews for the road. That's exactly what Wayne and I would have done. There's no way we'd leave a beer related task without a beer.
Rita & Yvette are the fourth team to arrive only to tell Jon to "shut up" when he tells them their day is still going on and as they race to catch up Julie & Lowell end up on the same train as Jillian & Emmett, who have no idea they're there. Meanwhile, Frankie & Amy are the fifth team to arrive at the mat, where Amy takes another swig of beer when she finds out they're still racing.
On the train to Toronto, Steph & Kristen borrow a phone to figure out the schedule from Toronto to Kingston and discover there are only two departures left for the day, either 3:30pm or 5:40pm. They're hoping to catch the 3:30 departure and hope that another team is far enough behind that they miss the 5:40 train, giving Steph & Kristen half a day's lead. Somehow I don't see that happening, because whatever they'll be doing in Kingston it probably doesn't start until after 9:00 in the morning, allowing the other teams to all catch up.
Next week the Express Pass secret is revealed and Jillian feels she's been taken for a sucker while a Detour has teams either bashing each other in body soccer or sailing into the wind, as they face the dreaded double U-Turn. Wayne and I will be right here to let you know how it all plays out, but before that happens we'll be back at the Druid for another video review. Until that time.