So the remaining four teams are in Bangdun, Indonesia and I'm guessing that since there are three legs left (including this one), there is still a non-elimination leg left. And it may be the one. I've been wrong pretty much on this kind of stuff, so I'll just leave it at that. So leaving first are the Afghanimals, Leo and Jamal, at 7:25 am. The teams must make their way to King Cobra House and eat grilled cobra. Yumm. Probably very little fat on those and I've seen Michael Palin eat snake during his Around the World in 80 Days show. So if Dennis the Peasant can eat a snake, so can I. Or Gord. Actually Gord can eat anything.
Unfortunately, they don't show Phil eating it. On the Canadian version, Jon did a bunch of the tasks so I'm thinking he'd take a bite during his description. Tim and Marie head out a minute after. Tough Marie, as Tim calls her, has food issues. If you watched all the previous issues, you've noticed she's also got anger issues, direction issues, abuse issues, blame issues, truth issues, and the list goes on. And she's worried that it might be some kind of meat. Oh yeah, it is some kind of meat. Anybody wanna make a cannibal joke since Marie is a bit of lowdown snake in the race. Anyone? Beuller? Anyone? Okay, just me then.
The Daters leave next, noting they are the only team that haven't won a leg. But they've been consistent. And maybe this is a foreshadowing of them finally winning. They also mention Marie's food issues. Afterwards, the "good" Doctors head out. And yikes, we get a bit of a background on them. She was a med student and he was her supervisor, which is why he talks down to her. Such a good example. But isn't there an ethical issue about dating the person you supervise, especially in an educational setting? Nicole does not seem happy about how he treats her.
Just before the Arghanimals arrive to the task, Leo wonders if the food will be snake, but Jamal says "They don't eat snake here." Surprise! And the boys are surprised, especially since they have to eat them in front of a cage of cobras. While Jamal gags just at the sight, Leo's chowing down. Let's have a poll who says the "taste like chicken" line first. Bets down.
Tim and Marie are pleased as punch to have found the location for the first time ever, and think they are ahead of the boys since they don't see them. "Unless we're not in the right spot." Nope, cause they are supposed to be at the North Entrance, which is where Jason and Amy arrive to eat. True to form, the Afghanimals pretend that Tim and Marie ate it all and left. But they say they aren't really lying but joking. And I get it cause that's the way Gord and I operate. We each can get a good story going for a long time, just cause it's fun, not because we want to cause harm. The Docs show up and join the party, not freaked out by animal parts, say Travis. Just freaked out by portion sizes. He's an odd man.
Tim and Marie are again just walking around, confused and lost. Tim says they aren't but Marie insists they are. She's right. I've said it before and I'll say it now, no matter what you think about Marie, she has a terrible partner. But the Afghanimals are done their breakfast and get their clue: head to the Kawah Domas Crater. Jason and Amy get done and Jason's gagging cause he ate a bone. Boohoo. And it's up to Travis to pull out the "taste like chicken" line. Who voted for Travis in the poll? Not me. So you got three teams done, heading towards the crater while Tim and Marie are still lost.
The boys arrive at the crater and it's a roadblock. A team member must first collect a bunch of eggs, then take a ride up to the crater on a local cab and then find a volcanic spring. Then must hard boil a dozen eggs in same volcanic spring. Cool. Especially since you have to bring them back and get judged by the Egg Man. Gord can do this and I'll be The Walrus.
The other two teams arrive and everyone heads out up the volcano on scooters. More fun. On the trip up, Jason's taxi makes an excellent move in the inside and passes Jamal. But in the end it makes little difference as teams have to run to the crater and it looks close.
While this little race is going on, Tim and Marie are now back in their cab, looking for some cobra takeout. Still haven't found it. So everyone loads their basket of eggs into the volcano spring, wondering how long it will take. I would err on the side of caution and keep it in much longer than I'd think because if you don't do it right, you'll have to do the whole thing again. That might give Tim and Marie time enough to catch up. At this point in the race, it's best not to try to win but just not to finish last.
At the bottom of the volcano, Amy asked how long it took Tim and Marie to get the eggs done because they are nowhere to be found. It's plainly obvious that the boys lied and finally they get it. Nicole smirks but I'm not sure if she's smirking at the fact Leo lied again or that Amy fell for it. Jason and Travis discuss boiling strategy (see above for the basic gist). And talking about Jamal in the third person, even though he's right next to them.
Finally, Tim and Marie make it to the snake, despite Marie's desire for veggies. She's a bit freaked out and there's a cutaway as Amy notes that Marie can't eat weird stuff, only lettuce. So no rush folks, win if you can, don't lose is a better strategy. The look on her face is priceless, although she starts sucking it back with water. Back the top of the volcano, as they talk about Marie not eating snake, Jason realizes that Jamal lied to them. "Just messing with you guys," he says. And good for them. Chances are, if the boys make it further on, it will happen again.
And so Exes get done pretty easily, more contrived drama. And Jason and Travis also think they are done boiling, but Jamal stays behind, not wanted to risk it. That's a tough call, don't want to wait too long but don't want to rush. This causes the others to second guess but then they decide to continue on. Race your own race, boys. But Jamal doesn't stay too long, only a minute or so, but that could be enough.
Jason is down first but his eggs is too soft. He's got to go back. Doesn't look good for Travis either. He's got to do all of them (time for Nicole to talk down him him!) As for Jamal... he's got to go back as well.When the get back to the spring, Travis apologizes to Jason, who should have raced his own race. And when Jamal comes back, they suggest he tell Marie it only takes 8-10 minutes. And wisely, the boys see that while Travis doesn't lie himself, he's not against someone else lying to help him. Hypocrites is correct, Leo.
This kind of stuff continues when the Exes finally arrive. Nicole says her "legs are tired" so they drop down so they aren't seen. Leo waves his arms, but only as a joke. And it's really funny when the Exes arrive and see them in plain sight. "You guys been here long?" Tim asks to total silence. Again, Travis and Jason leave at the same time, but Jamal stays behind again. On the way out, Jason meets up with Marie, high fives her and says it's quick. He says it's not really a lie and he'll rely on Jamal to do his dirty work for him. Obviously, Marie knows something's up because they were way behind and now they're caught up.
At the Egg Man (woooooo), Jason gets his eggs checked as Tim is saying Marie lacks patience and is 100% sure she'll come back with soft-boiled eggs. And Jason is done. Next is a Detour: Paint Your Partner or Turn over a New Leaf. Paint Your Partner is self-explanatory, although you have to make up your partner as a traditional Javanese brides (time to ask Amy to marry you Jason!). In Turn Over a New Leaf, teams must dress as local tea workers and then search a tea field for a pair of clippers. Not sure which one Gord and I would do; he's got the artistic skills to do my make up but I don't think I could do his.
The Daters take Paint and Amy suggests they should wait for Travis and Nicole. Time to cut the cord, kids, leave the two Docs behind. Travis does get done and they choose Paint, following right behind them. Travis is pleased because he thinks Amy's make up skills will help them. Jamal is done and they choose Leaf.
Amy doesn't know anything about boiling eggs and has no watch so she just holds the eggs above the water. And down at the bottom, Tim is predicting exactly what she she will do. Wow. How can anyone over the age of 20 not know how to boil eggs. Or boil anything. Sorry Tim if I said you were a bad partner. Okay maybe not. You are a bad partner but this is ridiculous. Boil means to cook in hot water. Steam is when you hold it over the steam.
After the commercial, Marie says she "feels like it should be in the water." And she sticks it into the water. Jason's worried about putting make up, I mean, on someone else. But thankfully, Amy has so much make-up on, he says, she's almost done. I'm always confused by those folks who have perfect faces on the race. How much time and effort and backpack space does it take to do that. I know I'm old and male but you're travelling, it's a race, why so much? Nevermind.
Jason and Travis realize that they have to shave to get the look they need so there's time lost there. So they do and is it me or does Travis now look like a grown-up version of Urkel? Yeah, that's who he probably was growing up; some version of Urkel. Nicole makes a drag queen remark and you know that hits Travis. Marie is still at the spring and Tim is pretty pleased that she's taking so long. Although they don't show how long she had them in the water. And he comments on how she overcooks everything so this might work in her favour. Ohh, she's gonna nail him for that when she sees it on TV. So she rushes out and we finally get a shot of the Arghanimals in the tea field. They dress up and head into the massive field. Looks tough, one of those needle in the haystack thing. Jamal finds a white flag and thinks he's found what they need to find. Somebody either didn't read the clue or forgot what the clue said.
Back at the Volcano, Amy is down. And despite Tim's pessimism, she's done. Still, the holding them over the spring was funny. And they pick up makeup because Tim is a metrosexual, he'll be fine on this. Jason and Travis are wishing they did the other task because it looks tough. And Travis is too sweaty so the bands don't stick to his skin. The shot of the judge, mouth open in, what was that expression, Horror? Disgust? Stupefaction?, that was great.
The boys offer the stick to the tea lady, she ignores them and they try to figure out what to do. Clue boys, clue. Man, these guys have huge clue reading difficulties but they still manage to keep going. Tim and Marie finally get there and start doing make up. Marie doesn't wear make up so it's kind of out of her element. And the Afghanimals are still roaming, discuss switching but realize if they switch, they are last. But they do switch, only to arrive at the place where the makeup happens. But once they realize they have to shave, they switch again. Oddly enough, they feel confident they can find the shears and get done to win the leg. Maybe that's why they are still there, confidence. But Jason and Amy are done. They are told to must make their way and then descend 500 steps to the bottom of Cimahi Waterfall, the pitstop.
So the Afghanimals are back at the tea field with more confidence. And they are realizing that the clue said to look in the bushes. Leo doesn't think the shears will be in on the top (yes they are cause you just walked by them) and Jamal mutters to himself, saying his cousin is doing it completely wrong. Also doing it wrong, is Travis and Nicole. He does look terrible. And it's not acceptable. Neither are Tim and Marie. Both teams make minor adjustments but again, no chancy.
So the foreshadowing about Jason and Amy finally coming first is true. They are Team #1. And they get a nice trip to Cancun; hey I'm going there in February. Can't wait cause it supposed to blizzard tonight in Edmonton, after a bout of freezing rain. Back at the make up, The Docs still aren't good enough. Travis think it's Nicole but as we're all thinking "It's not me, it's you." Maybe she's trying to insult him but that's her makeup skills at work. So she got herself with that one.
Then the Exes figure out that while they are doing makeup and putting stuff on, they are getting smudges on each other's faces. So they clean up their hands, finish up and they're correct; they're done and off to the pitstop. Back at the tea field, the boys are in Hour 3. And they've found a snake. Yikes. And Leo pretends to find the shears, annoying his cousin. Meanwhile Travis looks terrible. But they notice how smudged their faces are. So they clean up and get done.
Jamal decides to do a row that Leo missed and lo and behold, he finds the shears that he missed. And he's pissed. Very pissed. They are off to pitstop. It's a race and the Docs pass the Exes. And it seems the Exes cab is some kind of mellow monk. So no matter how much Marie yells at him, he's not going faster. And they're stuck behind a farm truck. The Docs pull way ahead.
Back with the Afghanimals, Jamal is still giving Leo crap for his stupid mistake. He believes they'll be eliminated because of it. Was only a matter of time fellas with all the small mistakes you've made. But who knows, maybe you are close, maybe Tim and Marie's cab will go slower. Maybe it's non-elimination, which I think it is. But I've been wrong. Traffic hits and the Docs are slowed down enough to allow the Exes to catch up and pass.
Obviously the Afghanimals aren't that close, and the pass by the Exes didn't get them that much time because Tim and Marie arrive the same times as the Docs. And they race down the stairs. Also, obvious that TAR: The Original Series, doesn't have the same rule as Amazing Race Canada about backpacks. In Amazing Race Canada, you have to have your pack within site of the pitstop. But both these teams are running down the stairs without their packs. Although the male teammates arrive at the same time, it's a race between the women. And Marie wins it.
Although no worries because the Afghanimals are nowhere in sight. Until later. They arrive at the mat. And it's obvious that it's non-elimination because Phil tells they are the last team but instead of eliminating them, he asks them a question. The boys are lucky this time, too many small mistakes can hurt. And though Leo says first place is guaranteed in his final statement, it's obvious from the look on Jamal's face, that he's still pissed and not confident his cousin is pulling his weight.
So next week, it's the two hour finale. And the first leg is one of my fav TAR locations, mostly because for a long time, they never went there for tasks. Yes, it's Japan and that is always crazy. Then off to Alaska for the final destination. I might be late with my recap cause it's also my birthday. But I'm old so it's probably gonna be a quiet weekend.