Anyway, the teams head out from Copenhagen for Morocco. And sure Morocco's not really that far, only 2K miles away, but in reality, it's a whole different world. And I love it when the race goes to someplace like Marrakesh, where it's noisy and hot and the culture is different. You really see how teams react to strangeness and how they feel about the other parts of the world that aren't representative of or descended from the Western European influence. Yeah, I'm talking about you Jim and your shit comment in the tannery. I like that Maya is more open about other cultures. So the Cyclists are out first, a few hours ahead of everyone, but in the end all the teams are on the same flight.
Two teams, though, discuss their situation from last episode. The Flight Attendants discuss their breakdown and reveal they had a long, long talk during the pitstop. Yeah, I sure hope so. That was a total breakdown, some really bad vibes going on there, but it's revealed that Nici left home at 17 and they really haven't been together much since then. But they're going to try to work together because blood is thicker than water. Personally, I'm more of a fan of water than blood because sometimes blood can be annoying, but there you go. Hopefully, they'll keep on that track.
As for the Dentists, you think Jim and Misti (well, mostly Jim) would be less cocky after their terrible leg in which they screwed up everything, forgot to read clues and only saved their Save pass because it was a non-elim leg. Side note: There has been much discussion, especially on the Amazing Race 24/7 Facebook page (go join if you haven't yet) about the Save Pass. Many fans believe that the rule should change, that you must decide whether to give up the Save Pass before Phil says anything. Like the way Jim did in the previous episode. And once you hand the Save Pass over, like Jim did, you don't get the pass back, even if it's a non-elimination leg. or you're not in last place. Maybe they'll tweak that rule in the next season.
In Marrakesh, teams must find the main marketplace, Jemaa el-Fnaa, and search for the food cart business where they will be required to set up a food cart before getting their next clue. Everyone pretty much arrives at the marketplace at the same time and realize that it's a huge place. Good luck getting around easily finding things with all the chaos. But they do and when the gate opens, it's all about the chaos as the teams (pushed on by the food cart vendors) rush out into the square to set up.
Actually, this task wasn't that hard. The teams didn't have to set up the food cart by themselves based on some example, they just had to follow directions. Sure, the heat and the smell might have been annoying, but again, you just had to follow the directions of the vendors. So most teams get set up pretty quick. Although Jim and Misti now have to do their Speed Bump. They have to get a bunch of carpets and hang them up on a pathway so they are displayed for sale. Usually Speed Bumps aren't that tough, mostly time wasters or tasks that take little difficulty. But this one was difficult. The carpets were heavy and onerous to raise up and hang. The Dentists struggled with that one, so much so that there was only one team left in the square putting up their food cart when they were done.
Most teams were gone, over to find a tannery for a roadblock. And as soon as I heard the word tannery, I laughed. If some teams thought the menu items at the food carts didn't smell good, wait till they get there. I've worked with hides before making traditional drums as well as worked in the meat industry so maybe I would do this instead of Gord. But he could handle it, too. And at the tannery, one team member had to strip the hair from three hides, then get three stacks of hides, load them on a bike and bring them to a cobbler on a bike. Once delivered, they had to get a receipt, head back to the tannery and get the clue. That's a neat task, a little microcosm of Amazing Race, getting dirty and smelly, trying navigate through an unusual location, making sure you get all the details right. While most teams get right into the task, a couple team members, Brooke and Nici have a bit of trouble. The smell gets to Brooke while Nici has to deal with her mom shouting at her, especially when Jim and Misti show up. As Shelley, yells Jim yells more calling the Flight Attendants scared. That doesn't go over well with mom and daughter. And neither does the fact that Misti knocks over Nici's bike on the way out of the tannery. She says sorry and all but she's probably not that sorry.
And for the first time in this Season, Bethany takes on a Roadblock. And as many of the other teams attest, Bethany is a beast. She doesn't let the fact she only has one arm slow here down. She uses her feet, her legs and gets the three hides clean faster than a number of teams. And then she's on the bike, riding through the maze that is Marrakesh like she's got no cares in the world. Impressive. But Marrakesh is a maze and soon everyone's lost and in a funny bit of seredipity (or just bad directions), they all end up in one tiny square in the middle of the maze. For a little while, no one can find the cobbler until Tim or Te Jay (sorry didn't take notes) finds it off into a little alcove. All hell breaks lose as all the teams rush down this alcove handing off their three bundles. Then teams head back, the Cyclists and the College Sweatheart team members heading the wrong direction.
Back at the tannery, Keith pushes his way to the front, shoving the Flight Attendants out of the way. They complain because you need your team member with you and it is claimed Whitney wasn't nearby. Words are exchanged, but Nashville get their clue first before the Flight Attendants. Not a good idea to piss people off just before a double U-Turn, especially mercurial folks like the Flight Attendants. But it's a Detour: Twirl Time or Tea Time. In Twirl Time, teams must keep a beat with a band playing a traditional song with the person not playing the drum, spinning a tassle on a hat for a full minute. In Tea Time, teams must carry a traditional tea set over to a tea shop and while one team member holds the tray with one hand, the other must pour a serving of tea in the Morrocan style, using two teapots at once and raising these pots as you pour. Sure, I can drum cause I'm a semi-pro drummer but spinning that tassle takes timing and do to it for a minute would be tough. Gonna get dizzy. As for tea, I love tea and know how to pour in the Morrocan style. So I would say Gord and I would take tea. I think he'd agree with me.
Teams pretty much split halfway for the Detour. The Cyclists, the Scientists, Survivor, and Flight Attendants take Twirl. The Surfers, Dentists, Sweethearts and Wrestlers take tea. The Twirlers struggle to get the spinning especially Maya. Hats keep falling off. But the tea side is no better. Everyone, save for the Surfers, rush to do the task and fail. The Dentists again fail to read the clue or follow the directions and Misti is holding the tray with two hands. The others just don't raise the tea pots high enough. The Surfers, though, take their time, learning how to do the task before trying and failing and then getting frustrated. A good move. It works for them because when they officially try the task, they succeed on the first try. Off to the U-Turn sign.
At the same time, the Cyclists work through their struggles and they are off to the U-Turn. They arrive first and wisely decide not to U-Turn someone. If this was Amazing Race Canada where you are allowed to U-Turn someone more than once, sure, I could see U-Turning a team, maybe Jim and Misti so they would have to use their Save Pass. But you're only allowed to U-Turn one team in the US version so no point when you're first. The Surfers arrive not much after and also decide not to U-Turn anyone. It's a bit of a race to the Pitstop but the Cyclists arrive a few seconds before the Surfers. That's two in a row for the Cyclists with Surfers still in a strong position.
Over time, teams finished their tasks although it takes the Dentists 10 attempts to realize that Misti's holding the tray wrong. Some fans have criticized her for not following the instructions but Jim was right beside her, he should have noticed it as well. Hard to be Team Domination though if you can't read clues correctly or follow directions. And while most teams pass on U-Turning someone, the Flight Attendants decide to utilize the U-Turn. They have a couple of choices: Survivor for pushing them out of the way, or the Dentists for how Misti knocked over their bike. And since Keith made a vague threat at the tannery, they decide to U-Turn them. You can decide amongst yourself whether it was a smart move but the key thing is that it forced Survivor to do both tasks (even after they switched), and in the end. They were eliminated. (I just found out that at the U-Turn, Survivor U-Turned the Scientists thinking they were still struggling but the girls had long checked in at the pitstop_ Also, all of the tasks were done in and around Jemaa el-Fnaa so it's probably gets an award for the leg done in the smallest area. A chaotic and maze like area, but nevertheless small.
Next week, back you Europe (really? Disappointing to be heading back to a continent we just left) with a leg in Italy.