Big Brother talk about U-Turning the Mormons and hope they boys didn't take it personally. What, they didntja notice the sarcasm in the Mormon's voice in the last leg? But Big Brother have a point; it's not personal, they want to win and need to play the game to win. Which they've been doing these last few legs. The Mormons have been way too nice but also take things too personal. Just play the game folks.
Cowboys head out, hoping to stay out of the drama. Leo and Jamal leave, after surviving their third U-turn. And they discuss how it would be great to have the Country Singers and the Mormons with them in the last three instead of Big Brother and the Cowboys. Very smart because Big Brother Cowboys are tougher teams overall than the Country Singer Mormons. And the Afghanimals figure they would have a better chance of winning with weaker teams in the final three. Gonna be interesting these next few legs.
The Country Singer Mormons leave and complain about why someone shouldn't be U-Turned because they survived cancer and have great hair. I'm glad the Mormons survived cancer, but just because you have cancer, doesn't mean you should get or expect a free pass in the Amazing Race. As for the hair, that doesn't get you a free pass either. Over at the train station, Big Brother get a train that leaves within 15 minutes. Looks like someone will be left behind. Could be the Cowboys cause they seem lost. Afghanimals, Mormons and Country Singers arrive at the station looking for tickets with only a few minutes before departure. But all three manage to jump on the last car and find Big Brother. That's gotta suck.
What has to really suck is to miss the train, which the Cowboys do. And while it's good to do your own thing, it's not great to do so maybe an hour or more behind. More bad talk about Big Brother from the Mormons and the Country Singers. And the Afghanimals create an alliance with the teams they believe are the weakest. Nice work boys.
Race to the cars once the train arrives, race to Altdorf. Getting dark and there seems to be some kind of parade going on. But it means little because Wilhelm Tell will only come out at sunrise. So the Cowboys will catch up. Better just enjoy the festivities. The Cowboys arrive after midnight, pleased to see they will catch up. So the sun comes up. and not surprisingly, cue the Wilhelm Tell Overture. Actually, it's only the finale part, the bit used for the old Lone Ranger series. And here comes Wilhelm. Clues handed out. Drive to Lucerne and search for the clue at the Chapel Bridge. So more driving throughout the alps. Sigh, I hate the legs with too much driving.
Leo and Jamal talk about their built-in GPS, something Gord and I can relate cause I always seems to know where north is and Gord never, ever gets lost. But Big Brother pull away to confuse everyone. I'm never a fan of this strategy, to pretend that you are lost to mess with other teams. Best just to get to where you need to go regardless of what the other teams think. Another Amazing Race rule: play your own game.
But they do get to the bridge first. Or maybe it's just a a bridge instead of the bridge. Yep, their attempt to be clever backfires and they are lost and at the wrong bridge. The other teams run to the correct bridge and grab a clue. (Please no driving, please no driving!) . Go to the Schweizerhof Hotel and trashed by a hard partying rock band. Nope, can't be Deep Purple cause they wrote Smoke on the Water in Montreaux. But as an ex-punk rocker who's done his share of touring, I know what a trashed hotel room looks like. I mean, motel room cause we could never afford a hotel.
The other teams rush to the hotel while Big Brother look for the bridge. They worry about elimination, which is never good. Big Brother has played well but start messing up when they worry about losing. Suck it up and move on. But they run instead of drive. So fall further around. Teams change, get their cleaning supplies and open the doors to the trashed rooms. Ha! You call that a trashed room? Some overturned chairs, a few bits of pizza and some empty bottles strewn about. Where's the dead fishes, the smears of vomit, the car bumper hanging out of the window, the OD victim in the bathtub. Okay, maybe I went too far but that room is relatively tame, more like how I leave a room after a writer's festival. Or my house after my kid has a sleepover. Piece of cake. Just take your time and do it right the first time.
The Mormons check out the sample room. as noted in the clue, to get an idea of what they need to get done. Other teams just start cleaning. Wonder how many will look at the sample. All of them, it seems. Good, clue reading has happened. Finally Big Brother get to the hotel and start cleaning. They check the sample room. Cowboys believe they are ready so here come Helga, the judge. Nope. The boys put the TP on wrong and forgot the soup. Nope to Leo and Jamal. Some cord is wrong and the flowers are missing. Country Singers are missing a lot more than the other male teams. So no for them.
And it seems Rachel was a maid for four years, so she has this down pat. Sure, just like they did at the cocktail pouring task. Mormons are close, something wrong with the tissue. Again no to all the other teams. Big Brother are close, just one thing. Finally, the Cowboys get a yes, hug the crap outta Helga and head to Swiss Museum of Transport. They have to answer the question to get the clue. All the other teams get yes with Big Brother behind.
At the museum, they must realize that the giant drill bit is the answer to the question. Not 42? The Cowboys get it right off the bat and have to find the Ford Mustangs on site. They have to use the numbers on the road signs and equation on their clue in to determine the model year and make of their Mustang. No Detour or Roadblock yet. Afghanimals show up and need to ask folks to help them. Dave was a mining engineer so he knows exactly what he's looking at. So Dave helps the Afghanimals and the Country Singers. Calculating away. At the hotel, Helga approves the Big Brother room.
Other teams realize there are road signs on the other side of the building. Big Brother can't guess the artifact so ask for help. Cowboys are the first to figure it out the Mustang test. And drive, sigh, to Oberrickenbach and search for clue. Mormons are off as Big Brother get the answer to the artifact Afghanimals also get the Mustang clue and start to move on but decide to help the Country Singers. Sure it seems the boys are being nice but they are also being calculating. Win win for them. Big Brother get finished fast and are right behind them. Cowboys and Mormons arrive at the milk tanker. A roadblock. Grab a dog, carry empty can to farm to exchange for a full one and then come back. Both Gord and I are good with dogs so either one of us could do it. The remaining teams arrive.
Connor heads up the first gondola, Cord on the other. Brendan goes up while Caroline falls down on some ice. Ouch. Connor carries two cans of milk down. Better him than Dave cause they look heavy. Cord gets the milk and heads back. Same for Brendan. And then Leo. Not going to be easy for Caroline. Connor, then Cord, Brendan and Leo. Cord's dog passes Connor. Drive to so you can ride to the top of Mount Titlis, the pitstop. Mormons and Cowboys race to the end.
Leo and Jamal leave third, followed by Big Brother while Caroline is struggling. Phil waits as Dave wipes out while trying to jump over the rail But they are on the Gondola first so best chance for them to win. But the Cowboys catch up at the next Gondola. As do the Afghanimals. Fun. To make things more interesting, Leo and Jamal talk in their mother language to strategize without the other teams understanding. Excellent move.
So out they run like crazy. But the Mormons play it even smarter and take an elevator instead of the stairs and come in first. And they each win a 2015 Mustang. The Cowboys are second, Afghanimals third. Big Brother are fourth. And Country Singers are last. Various shots of how they are happy with running a great race. Okay, let's move it along, stop dawdling and get to the end. And yes, I was expecting this but didn't predict, it's a non-elimination race. They get to live another leg but if they continue to rely on other teams to help them, they'll lose. If they play on their own, like in other legs, they'll do better.
Next week, another U-Turn and it looks like the Afghanimals arrive at it first. Curious to see how the boys will play it. Don't forget to check out our video in the next couple of days.