We open the episode once again right after Jenali & Jenny and Laura & Tyler leave the Pit Stop in search of their rooms for the next 12 hours. These are actually pretty fair sized rooms for Nagano, Japan and the Blind Daters are supplied with individual rooms but it looks like Jeff & Jackie are getting more comfortable with each other and just using one room.
Being first to the Pit Stop in the last leg, Jenali & Jenny are the first to leave at 4:35 pm and are now on their way to Phuket, Thailand in search of Patong Beach and their next clue. Laura & Tyler are only 10 minutes behind and these are the two teams showing the most promise as actual couples once the race is over. Then again, it's early and it probably helps that they've been doing well in the race.
The Date Night retreat that Harley & Jonathan got to enjoy during the Pit Stop was a nice remote hot springs set up in the mountains. It looked really relaxing, even if they did look like mushrooms.
Teams need to make their way from Nagano to Tokyo in order to catch their next flight and during the drive Kurt & Bergen reveal that they're definitely not a match but they are developing a good friendship. That's a start. When Jenali & Jenny reach the airport the counter they chose has already closed but apparently the other teams aren't having the same problem elsewhere in the airport.
The first flight, consisting of Matt & Ashley, Aly & Steve, Hayley & Blair, Jeff & Jackie and Mike & Rochelle will be arriving in Thailand at 4:50 pm, while the second flight with Jenali & Jenny and Laura & Tyler is scheduled to arrive at 9:10 pm, four hours behind. How they managed to miss the first flight is beyond me. The third flight won't be arriving until 11:59 pm, almost 7 hours behind the lead teams and brings the second last team of Kurt & Bergen.
Since all these teams are arriving in the evening of the following day my guess is that this is just going to put them all back on an even footing for the third leg of the race. Everyone that is except for the last team of Harley & Jonathan who won't be arriving until 9:35 am. Granted they'll be 16 hours behind the first flight, but hopefully they'll arrive early enough in the morning to catch up quickly.
The first flight arrives in Phuket, Thailand and the teams are off and running in search of Patong Beach as the sun sets into the water. It takes them awhile to realize that the guy with the selfie sticks is actually holding their next clue and it's time to party on Patong. Patong Beach kinda reminds me of an evening on Fremont Street in Vegas.
Theres a bit of camaraderie as the teams relax over a few drinks before once again finding their rooms for the night. These rooms look a little larger than the ones in Nagano, but I'm not sure we really need to keep seeing all their rooms. The second flight arrives and it's more or less a repeat of the first but with just the two teams it's a little quieter.
They don't show Kurt & Bergen arriving but as the sun rises the earlier teams realize that nobody has seen Harley & Jonathan, who appear to be waiting for their connecting flight. They're finally getting on board that flight in Singapore and hope that they end up only an hour behind the other teams.
Upon checking out of the Patong Beach B&B teams are handed a clue sending them in search of the Upside-Down House. Teams are leaving 15 minutes apart as the first group was out at 8:45 am and the second at 9:00 am, based on when they grabbed their selfie stick. My guess is Kurt & Bergen should be out at 9:15 but we get a quick cut to Harley & Jonathan finally arriving in Phuket. They're pretty sure they're in last place (good guess) and falling further behind when their cabbie stops for gas.
The Upside-Down House is pretty cool as teams enter through the roof and make their way to the main floor bathroom to find their clue hanging from the toilet. Time for the Detour: Ski or Tree. In Ski, teams need to grab a towline and make a complete lap of the wake park on a wake board to get their next clue. In Tree, the teams need to become ziplining waiters to deliver a meal to waiting diners who will tip them with their next clue. Watching the teams run around the house looking for the clue was a little disorienting but fun. I'm thinking Wayne and I would likely choose Tree since we both enjoy ziplining, and it would keep us dry.
Meanwhile Harley & Jonathan have found Patong Beach and a 9:00am departure. They're still in it. Steve & Aly are the first to attempt Ski and it's not as easy as it looks. Maybe they'd do better if the water was frozen, . . . until that first face plant.
Over at Tree we find Hayley & Blair, Mike & Rochelle, Matt & Ashley and Jelani & Jenny suiting up in their waiter gear and heading up the trail to grab the food. There's a board with a set amount of food listed and Jelani thinks they only need one food item and one drink, but Jenny's not so sure about that even though Hayley and Blair follow along and do the exact same thing. The other two teams are busy analyzing the board as Jeff & Jackie arrive at the wake park and Harley & Jonathan hit the B&B for their next clue.
Aly & Steve are on their fourth attempt on the water as Jenny zips along 100 feet above the ground with a tray in one hand and a drink in the other followed closely by Jelani, only to find that they've messed up the order. See, it really helps to read the clue. Hayley notices the other two teams coming up with all the food and points it out to Blair but he just goes ahead and delivers the wrong order. Hayley's a little ticked at him and she's right that they can't just follow blindly what another team is doing, but berating Blair about it isn't going to help them. Back to the shack.
Matt & Ashley were doing really well until he had a plate fly off his tray. I wonder how many of those are littering the ground beneath the line. Jelani & Jenny reload their trays for a second attempt as Jackie does a face plant over at the wake park. Mike & Rochelle make the first successful delivery to the treetop diners and receive their next clue, while Hayley is still busy nagging Blair about making the wrong decision and not listening to her.
Mike & Rochelle are now on their way to the My Way Cabaret. The cabbie tells them it's the ladyboy show cabaret. That should be entertaining. Jelani & Jenny lose part of their order down the line while Hayley & Blair's second attempt, with the correct food order, is successful and they move into second place. She's still berating Blair for not listening as Laura & Tyler complete the order and move into third place.
Over at the wake park Aly & Steve are on their 8th attempt and still mastering the faceplant. Jeff & Jackie are on their 2nd attempt and decided it's easier to fall on their side than their face. Either way it's gotta hurt. Aly & Steve decide to switch Detours as Harley & Jonathan leave the Upside-Down House in search of the zipline. Jonathan's not really keen on heights but says that at this point he'd jump out of a plane if it would get them ahead, followed closely by "I'm not jumping." You do what you have to do.
Mike & Rochelle are the first to arrive at the My Way Cabaret where they get to dress up as showgirls and dance the routine to get their next clue. I'm glad to hear that Mike's never done this before, I'd be a little concerned if he had. Watching him squeeze into the costume was pretty funny but watching him put on makeup was even funnier.
Matt & Ashley lose more food on the line while Bergen & Kurt make a successful delivery and move into 4th place as Jelani & Jenny make their 4th attempt. Jenny refuses to watch as Jelani slides down, but they made it and move into 5th place.
At the cabaret Mike & Rochelle are ready to learn the routine as Blair & Hayley and Laura & Tyler arrive. At the start of the zipline Matt goes to help Ashley but then knocks over his champagne. Trying to refill it with soup isn't going to work so he has to go back for more, allowing Steve & Aly to complete it on their first try after switching Detours.
Arriving at the cabaret, Kurt & Bergen receive this leg's Date Night just as Mike & Rochelle hit the floor. Some of these boys are enjoying the makeup a little too much. Meanwhile, back in the jungle, Matt & Ashley finally complete the task, followed by Jeff & Jackie who also switched Detours with better results. However, Mike & Rochelle failed their first attempt, and their second, third, fourth . . . Eventually they get it on their 8th attempt.
Mike & Rochelle are now off to the Pit Stop, the Baba Nest Rooftop Bar. Hayley & Blair and Laura & Tyler look resplendent in their green feathered outfits as they enter the cabaret. Unfortunately they both fail their first attempts, as do Jelani & Jenny, but Harley & Jonathan make a successful delivery in their first run down the zipline and Jonathan doesn't need to face his fear of heights twice.
Hayley & Blair nail the dance routine on their 4th attempt and they're off just as the other teams arrive. At least she's cut back the nagging a bit. Jelani & Jenny complete their routine on their 5th attempt.
At the Pit Stop, Mike & Rochelle are Team Number 1 and have also won a trip for two from Travelocity to Prague, in the Czech Republic, and also get a cooking class while they're there. Finally a dating couple moves into first place. Who would have suspected it would be Mike & Rochelle upsetting the Jenali & Jenny hat trick.
Back at the cabaret Matt & Ashley have finished the routine, while Laura & Tyler's 7th attempt and Steve & Aly's 3rd seems to have been the charm. Bergen & Kurt hit the stage as Jeff & Jackie practice, an easy task for Jackie but not so much for Jeff.
On the way to the Pit Stop Matt realizes he doesn't have his fanny pack and they need to head back to the cabaret. He's pretty much freaking out over it and Laura tells him to calm down as they head back and Jeff & Jackie begin and complete attempt number three successfully. Matt finds the fanny pack and they're back on the road as Jeff & Jackie change out of their showgirl costumes and Harley & Jonathan arrive for theirs.
Hayley & Blair are Team Number 2, as all the other teams race in behind them. With everyone crowded around Matt uses that time to make an announcement and to propose to Ashley and everyone on the mat is really happy, especially the girls. Now we know why he has so panicked about his fanny pack, I guess he really did need it. Everyone gets emotional and there's a lot of hugging and tears and then another selfie.
With the Baba Nest Roof Top Bar cleared of all that emotion, Harley & Jonathan are the last team to arrive and . . . are happy to discover it's a non-elimination leg. They'll have a Speed Bump in the next leg but lately those have been uneventful in the course of the race and they're a strong team so it should be fine, unless they miss another flight.
Next week the teams are off to Bangkok where Matt & Ashley blossom in their love while the Blind Daters have no love lost as they hit a wall. Sure it's all about the editing but there's bound to be a little pressure when you mix a few unknown ingredients together. Looking forward to how it all plays out and I'll see you all next week.