It's 3:37pm when Jon gives Joel & Ashley the next clue and tells them they're still racing so they may still be good to go, but while they head out Steph & Kristen are already on the 3:30pm ViaRail Train out of Toronto bound for Kingston where they'll need to make their way to Springer Market Square to locate a maple syrup stand and their next clue.
Back in Toronto, Jillian & Emmett catch up to Frankie & Amy who can't tell them who gave them the Express Pass but it didn't take long for it to come out and Rita & Yvette are shocked. While Jillian & Emmett, Frankie & Amy, Rita & Yvette and Julie & Lowell board the 5:40pm train, Joel & Ashley are just racing from their GoTrain in to Union Station. Unfortunately, Joel & Ashley just missed the 5:40 train and now need to wait until 6:40am. That's going to be a stressful 13 hours of waiting for them.
When Steph & Kristen arrive at Springer Market Square they find a chalkboard that tells them to return at 9:30am for their next clue, which should give almost enough time for Joel & Ashley to catch up. Let's see, it's about three hours from Toronto to Kingston so . . . Yep, that should be enough. Time enough for everyone else to relax in Kingston. Wayne and I would be looking for the pub.
When the teams arrive bright and early in the morning they're still looking for Joel & Ashley, who have just pulled in to Kingston. The market opens and five teams race to the syrup stand to get their next clue. All teams must now make their way to Clarence Street where teams will find a selection of 2016 Chevy Cruze, each with a four digit code licence plate that matches one of the locks on the lockbox that holds their tablet control which allows them to use the myChevrolet App to open the Cruze doors and get their next clue.
While all the teams are reading the clue Joel & Ashley have caught up, grabbed their clue and it's a mad dash to Clarence Street. Everyone tries their luck at matching the code but it's Rita & Yvette who open their box first, then Frankie & Amy and Joel & Ashley who are now in first place as they jump into their 2016 Chevy Cruze.
They're all off to the Detour where they'll find themselves either "On The Field" or "Offshore". In Higher Education, teams must make their way to Nixon Field on the grounds of Queens University where they are encased in a full body bubble and need to complete a series of soccer drills while passing a soccer ball between them and then score on a member of the Queens University Women's Soccer team, all in under 25 seconds. If they can do that the Queens a University mascot will give them their next clue. In High Seas, teams need to make their way to the Kingston Yacht Club where they'll need to make their sailboat seaworthy and then steer out to a floating buoy where they'll find their next clue. As much fun as sailing may be, Wayne and I would likely choose Higher Education.
Joel & Ashley choose the soccer field while Frankie & Amy choose the high seas, then Rita & Yvette choose the field. On the road to the soccer field Rita & Yvette start talking it through and feel everyone is going to choose the soccer challenge so they decide to switch and head for the yacht club. Meanwhile Jillian & Emmett and Steph & Kristen have both just unlocked their boxes. They both choose the soccer task but on the way there Steph & Kristen discuss using the Express Pass as this is the last leg to use it in.
While the two teams keep trading off on the field, Julie & Lowell are still trying to unlock their tablet but they finally get it and are off to the soccer field. That's where we find Steph & Kristen completing the task on their fifth attempt and receiving their next clue. They are now on their way to the Kingston Penitentiary, Canada's oldest maximum security prison, which opened in 1835 and closed in 2013. Once there teams will find the dreaded Double U-Turn board before getting their next clue.
As Steph & Kristen drive off to the Max, Rita & Yvette arrive at the shore to find Frankie & Amy still tied up in sails and knots. As confusing as it looks it can't be as bad as Joel & Ashley who've gotten lost driving the streets of Kingston in search of the university. Fortunately they stumbled upon it as Jillian & Emmett were making their eighth unsuccessful attempt. When Joel & Ashley make their first attempt Ashley reveals that she's also claustrophobic. Good thing she can see through the bubble . . . sorta, but then took the full time to get back up after the roll.
It took nine tries but Jillian & Emmett have completed the task and are off to the penitentiary in an attempt to beat Steph & Kristen to the Double U-Turn board. As they run out to their car Julie & Lowell run in to the field and Julie is immediately concerned about how much Lowell will be able to see on this challenge. If it's tough for her to see through the bubble it must be almost impossible for Lowell but he's figured out that he can look through the top or bottom to get oriented. Hopefully that's enough.
Steph & Kristen are the first team to the Double U-Turn and since they agreed not to u-turn Joel & Ashley they stick with their agreement and were now stumped between Jillian & Emmett or Rita & Yvette. They're thinking of u-turning Rita & Yvette but despite the fact that they are closer to Jillian & Emmett on a personal level they also know that they are their strongest competition so they chose Jillian & Emmett.
Steph & Kristen are now entering the decommissioned Kingston Penitentiary to search the 400 prison cells for their next clue. Down one hallway after the next they start opening doors and checking cells and when Jillian & Emmett arrive to find their smiling faces on the board they're forced to u-turn another team and they choose Joel & Ashley only because they know they're ahead of them. Not by much though because Joel & Ashley just completed the soccer side of the detour.
As Joel & Ashley leave the field Julie & Lowell make their fifth attempt but Lowell's vision is making this a lot harder than it should be in just 25 seconds so they have a quick heart to heart and decide to switch tasks. Probably a good idea because Lowell spends more time trying to see the ball than he does inside one.
When Jillian & Emmett arrive at the docks Emmett tells Jillian to not mention the u-turn and just say the the soccer was too hard. Im not sure why that would matter at this point because if a team switches it would still take them time to get there and complete the task. So when the girls ask how the soccer was Jillian says it was hard and both Frankie & Amy and Rita & Yvette accept it. Easy for Frankie & Amy as their boat is now ready to set sail and off they go to find the next clue.
As Frankie & Amy bob about on the waves, Steph & Kristen have found a cell with a clue and they are now on their way to Bellevue House, Sir John A. MacDonald's Kingston home to find their next clue. Off they go just before Joel & Ashley arrive to find they've been u-turned by Jillian & Emmett. Joel feels they'll pay for what they did but it was the right move for Jillian & Emmett, just like the move Amy makes to get the clue off of the buoy.
When Joel & Ashley arrive at the yacht club Jillian yells out an apology to them for u-turning them but Ashley was pissed about it. Emmett doesn't really care since he and Jillian were also u-turned so he just gets on with the task at hand. So much so that they were the next ones on the water ahead of Rita & Yvette and then almost overshot the buoy.
While Jillian & Emmett return to the penitentiary, Steph & Kristen arrive at Sir John A. MacDonald's home for the Roadblock. One team member needs to dress as Sir John A. MacDonald and memorize and recite a famous speech to the gathered crowd of concerned citizens. Since they're not sure if there's another task after this one, Kristen decides to do the Roadblock and gets into costume and starts memorizing the speech.
At Bellevue House Kristen feels she's got it down and she was doing great until she rang the bell the first time and lost her train of thought. Sir John A. she was not . . . not yet. Back in she goes to lock down the second part of the speech as Joel & Ashley hit the waves and almost capsize but Joel fixes the rudder, rights the sailboat and they keep on sailing.
Kirsten kills it on her second attempt and she receives their next clue. They're off to the Kingston Mills Lockstation at Rideau Canal, the Pit Stop for the seventh leg. As they head to the Pit Stop, Rita & Yvette are happy not to be u-turned and race in to the penitentiary to find their clue. Once again they didn't take long and I'm beginning to think it's all thanks to editing, . . . that or Steph & Kristen just picked a bad set of wings to search through.
As Joel & Ashley grab the clue off the buoy, at the back of the pack Julie & Lowell are finally geared up and on the water but as Julie struggles with the clue, Lowell struggles to stay in the boat and then the boat lends a hand and knocks poor Lowell into the lake. It doesn't take long to get back in the boat and despite being in last place these two are still smiling.
Jillian& Emmett arrive at Bellevue House and since Emmett is a proud Canadian he decides that he'll take on the challenge. As Emmett gets ready Frankie & Amy arrive and I think Amy is happier about getting to dress up than she is about memorizing that speech.
Racing up to the Pit Stop, Steph & Kristen are Team Number 1 and have won a trip to Rome, Italy . . . and all without using their Express Pass, which Jon takes back and tosses away. Steph & Kristen really want to be the first all female team to win the Amazing Race Canada and right now they're the team to beat.
At Bellevue House the weather takes a turn for the worse so the citizens are brought in to the parlour where Emmett makes his first attempt at the speech but blows it near the start and has to return to the sitting room. While he keeps studying Rita & Yvette arrive and Yvette steps up to be "the first". The pressure is on, but Emmett blows it again as other teams arrive and he starts to stress.
Speaking of which, here come Joel & Ashley and Ashley takes on the role of Sir John A. MacDonald and practices outside. As an actress this should be an easy Roadblock for Ashley. Then again . . . Amy makes her first attempt but fails as she begins repeating herself, so Yvette steps in and she nails it on her second attempt.bshe was so excited she nearly jumped out of her costume.
Back at the Max, Lowell stops in front of a cell and he almost sees the clue on the floor before turning away, so it's a good thing that Julie was right behind him. They find the clue and are now on their way to catch up to the others at Bellevue House, where Amy nails it and leaves Emmett and Ashley behind just before Ashley steps up for her first attempt. Ashley nails it and Emmett looks dumbfounded. Joel & Ashley are outta there moving into fourth place as Emmett tries again . . . and fails, again and again.
At the Rideau Canal, Rita & Yvette are Team Number 2 and they're really happy with that. Which must be how Emmett feels when he finally nails the speech and as they race out Julie & Lowell arrive at Sir John's and Lowell steps up to the plate. While Lowell practices his speech, Jillian & Emmett and Frankie & Amy have both gotten lost on the road to the Pit Stop, which is where we find Joel & Ashley as Team Number 3, truly surprising Ashley especially after starting in last place and being u-turned.
Lowell feels he has the speech memorized and he nails the speech on his first attempt but now they have to beat two other teams to the pit stop to stay in the race. It could be tight but then Frankie & Amy stop to get directions and find themselves directly behind Jillian & Emmett. In the end Jillian & Emmett are Team Number 4 and Frankie & Amy are Team Number 5 in a foot race to the mat.
Next week the five remaining teams are heading south to Havana, Cuba where a beach volleyball challenge in the rising heat has tempers flaring and an accident at the Detour forces one racer out of the action. There will be blood . . . and we will be right here to tell you all about it. In the meantime we're heading back to the Druid for our weekly video review and a couple of pints. Until that time.