Episode 7 - It’s All Fun and Games
The Amazing Race: All-Stars, Episode 7 - It’s All Fun and Games… by Jenn Brasler -- 04/02/2007 …until the racers have to visit a concentration camp. In between carrying half-naked mannequins and making sausage, the remaining racers are in for some reflection at Auschwitz in Poland. Will this have any affect on Eric & Danielle and their now-constant bickering? Previously on Two Guys Walk Into a Zanzibar…: Seven teams traveled from Mozambique to Zanzibar. Charm took a risk to get ahead, and it paid off. Eric & Danielle were kicked off a plane and Danielle had a hissy fit. They wound up with Guido and Teri & Ian. Charm kept their lead, staying ahead of Cha3 at the Roadblock and coming in first for the second leg in a row. 16 hours later, Guido beat Teri & Ian at the Detour, and Ian & Teri were eliminated. Six teams remain: Charla & Mirna (Charm) - Cousins/Just because you’re a lawyer doesn’t mean you know what a catamaran is Oswald & Danny (Cha3) - Friends/They brake for fruit Uchenna & Joyce - Married/Lucky to still be in this Kandice & Dustin - Friends/As long as they read, they do pretty well Eric & Danielle - Dating/Meh Bill & Joe (Guido) - Partners/Not doing so hot Some kid runs naked on the beach in Zanzibar and has to be blurred. Oh, and there’s Phil. Can Guido make up for lost time? Charm are the first to leave at 4:20 a.m. They’re headed for Warsaw, Poland, where they’ll go to Czapski Palace, the childhood home of Frederic Chopin. Flights are limited, so the teams have tickets for a flight that arrives t\he next day at 11:25 a.m., but they’re free to find a better flight. Mirna interviews that it might actually be better to fly under the radar and not be seen as a threat. She and Charla decide to wait for Cha3 and share a cab. Cha3 leave. Oswald says they’re having fun and enjoying themselves while also being competitive. They’ll help others, but they won’t form any alliances or joint ventures. They head off with Charm. At 7:55 a.m., Uchenna & Joyce leave. Uchenna says their spirits have been lifted after not being that affected by their 30-minute penalty. He adds that having special times together helps them grow as a couple. Joyce says this is the excitement their relationship needs. They’re going to try their luck at the South African Airways office. Dustin & Kandice leave just five minutes later. One is excited about seeing Chopin play piano at the palace; I guess no one told her that he’s been dead for, oh, 160 years. Kandice interviews that their tricks don’t work this time around because everyone has the same tricks. She says they just have to hang on and stay in the middle of the pack. However, they also need to step it up or they’ll be out. Uchenna & Joyce head to South African Airways, but it doesn’t open until 8:30. Joyce hopes the agents come to work on time. Cha3 and Charm arrive at another agency, where Dustin & Kandice soon join them. Uchenna & Joyce consider calling that agency, and they do so just as it opens. Dustin & Kandice figure out that the agent they want to talk to is dealing with Joyce & Uchenna. Dustin and Mirna ask if the agent can call Uchenna back, since they were there first. Uchenna asks the agent who’s asking her to hang up on him. He notes that they’re in a competition with each other. Dustin tells the agent to just hang up, and the woman tells Uchenna to call back. Um, aren’t there other people there to help them? That was weird. As Mirna and Dustin & Kandice talk to two different agents, Mirna asks hers not to share info with Kandice & Dustin. Oswald explains that with him and Danny working with Charm, they have four aggressive racers together, two of whom talk a lot. They’re channeling all of their information through Mirna and letting her do the work. Mirna offers a commission to the agent as Dustin notes that often Charm get rude and lean across desks to talk to people. Yeah, the agent doesn’t look too happy. Uchenna & Joyce decide to work through the agency they’re in. Joyce hopes someone will wind up having to take the provided flight. At the other agency, Mirna is told about a flight that arrives in Warsaw at noon. As they try to figure out what Kandice & Dustin are being told, Oswald comments that it’s like a spy game. If this were Alias, Oswald would be Weiss. Dustin & Kandice get a flight to Warsaw via Addis Ababa and Frankfurt. It lands at 9:10. Charla asks their agent to check on that route. Dustin & Kandice are done and head off, but right now Charm and Cha3 have nothing. Mirna says she’s having a heart attack and needs emergency help. I’m guessing she’s not thinking the agent is taking her seriously. Kandice & Dustin are quickly on their way to Warsaw. Cha3 and Charm have been in their agency for four hours. So have Uchenna & Joyce, who finally get a flight through South Africa and will be on the same Frankfurt-to-Warsaw flight as Kandice & Dustin. Danielle & Eric leave the Pit Stop way behind the first four teams. Danielle complains about Eric in an interview. Hey, you’re the one who decided to date him, not me. In the cab, Danielle says she thinks she looks like a Polish girl. Eric says she didn’t even know where Poland was before this. Cha3 and Charm hear about a flight that lands at 5:10 p.m. They complain about their slow agent. As Uchenna & Joyce fly to Frankfurt, Danielle & Eric meet up with Cha3 and Charm at their agency. They’re told they’ll be waiting for a while - Charm and Cha3 have been there for seven hours. Eric asks if there’s a better flight than the provided one. Mirna sarcastically tells him that there is one, but they decided not to take it so they could hang out with him. She finally found a sense of humor! Eric suggests to Danielle that they try another agency. Danielle doesn’t think they’ll find one, so Eric passive-aggressively tells her they’ll stay. Danielle says arguing with him is like talking to a five-year-old. They head off, bickering about stubbornness and how Danielle is annoying. She says his personality is irritating. This is why they’re actually perfect for each other. Charm and Cha3’s agent finds them another flight through Amsterdam that lands in Warsaw at 9:45. They finally head off. Eric & Danielle reach another agency and are told that now the 11:25 flight is their best choice. At the airport, Charm say goodbye to Zanzibar and leave at 4 p.m. Eric & Danielle bicker more. Eric says there’s no way to handle Danielle when she’s like this. She just has to calm down and get herself out of it. They keep bickering. Okay, shut it, you two. At 7:01 p.m., Guido leave the Pit Stop. Bill says they’re trying to do the best they can. Sixth place used to be the middle of the pack, but now it’s at the back. They need to step it up. They’re going to try to get on the provided flight, since they think it’s the first one they can get. At the airport, they are spotted by Eric & Danielle, who decide to hide but don’t do a very good job. Joe says they’re happier to see Eric & Danielle than they are to see Guido. Danielle interviews that she doesn’t like them. Apparently Danielle can only talk about two subjects - how she doesn’t like Guido and how annoying Eric is. Eric says they want to move up because they don’t like this spot. Their flight is connecting through Amsterdam, but there isn’t much time between their two flights. In Tanzania, the two teams try to get their connecting tickets but are told they’re too late. They ask someone to radio the pilot and wait for them, since the plane is still there. They make the guy run out to the plane while they complain. “What’s wrong with these people?” Danielle asks. She refuses to stay in the airport. The guy tells them getting on the plane is impossible, even though the plane is right there and they have tickets. Joe says they’ll be stuck there, then tries to flag down the plane and make it stop. Bill thinks he’s lost it. Joe yells for someone to put the stairs back at the plane. “I guess that didn’t work,” Bill says, half amused and half freaked, I think. Eric says they’re three days behind everyone else. Once Joe returns, Bill tells him he wasn’t proud of that display. Joe sarcastically says he’s glad. Danielle complains that things are always miserable on the race. Eric says it’ll be them and Guido running around trying not be eliminated. The next flight out is at 6 a.m. Ouch. They head to a hotel and agree to meet up in the morning, though Bill isn’t sure they can trust Eric. Eric interviews that if he shakes someone’s hand and says he’ll do something, he’ll do it. Bill thinks it’s nice of him to offer a deal. Of course, once the teams land, they’re on their own again. In Frankfurt, Dustin & Kandice and Uchenna & Joyce head off to get tickets for their connecting flight. Kandice & Dustin ask for aisle seats while a guy sends Joyce & Uchenna to the gate. Dustin & Kandice get on the plane, but Uchenna & Joyce are told they won’t make the flight, which leaves in 15 minutes. Uchenna interviews that everything was perfect, and then they were kicked off the flight. (Not literally, like Eric & Danielle, though.) Dustin & Kandice fly off. Guido and Eric & Danielle get tickets for the 6 a.m. flight, happy to finally be flying somewhere. In Warsaw, there is music and a guy in armor. It’s 9:07 a.m., and Dustin & Kandice are the only team there. Dustin says that she used to play the piano, and Chopin was one of her favorite composer to play. She says she’ll pretend the fake Chopin is the real one. Kandice pronounces his name like she’s using air quotes. Dustin says it’ll be like meeting Santa Claus. Charm and Cha3 are on their way to Warsaw. Mirna isn’t sure where the other teams are. Dustin & Kandice get to the palace and meet “Chopin.” They enjoy the music before getting their clue, a Detour. The choices are Perfect Angle and Perfect Pitch. In Pitch, teams go to another palace and tune a piano key, then listen to a Chopin piece played on the same piano before getting the next clue. In Angle, teams go to a boutique, get a mannequin, and take it to a lab. There, they’ll use an x-ray machine to find a clue inside the mannequin. Dustin & Kandice decide to do Pitch, since Dustin has piano experience and thinks she can figure out how to tune a key. Charm and Cha3 land in Warsaw. Charm ask their cab driver about Polish sausage and hot dogs. Wow. Shut up. Cha3 get a taxi and tell their driver they trust him. Oswald notes that they have no choice. Kandice & Dustin arrive at Pitch and get a tuning demonstration. Dusting plays a scale to figure out which key is out of tune. Charm arrive at a church instead of the palace. I kind of hope their driver took them there on purpose. Dustin & Kandice keep tuning, Dustin noting there are three strings attached to each key. They get their key in tune and a guy plays for them. Their clue is a sheet of music that contains the name Jan II Sobieski. The racers are supposed to figure out that it’s directing them to a monument for a king. Dustin & Kandice head back to their cab. Charm try to get help. No one will even talk to them. Mirna says it’s frustrating that no one will reach out to “two young girls.” She says things aren’t like this in America. Mirna wonders if people in Poland have never seen a little person. They run from Charm like they’re the plague. Too easy. Cha3 pass Charm in their cab and get to the palace. They choose Pitch, though Danny thinks Angle sounds easy. They get a local to help them and Oswald asks how to say “Three Musketeers” in Polish. Hee. Charm finally get some help at a hotel, it looks like. Dustin & K get to the monument and their clue sends them straight to the next Pit Stop. It’s only 8:32! Must be a double leg. The two ditch their packs and easily find the Pit Stop, happily checking in first and getting a trip to Puerto Rico. Phil reminds them that they keep saying they’ll be the first all-female team to win the race. Kandice says it’s possible, but they need constant focus and consistency. “The blondies are back on the board,” she adds. At 11:02 a.m., Uchenna & Joyce arrive in Warsaw. Cha3 reach Pitch and Danny starts playing “Heart and Soul.” Oswald interviews that they’ve been friends for 13 years and he never knew Danny played the piano. They start tuning and wonder if they’re trying to fix wrong key. Charm veto Perfect “Angel” for Pitch. Meanwhile, Danny breaks a string, which has to be changed. They note that maybe they should have carried the mannequin. Uchenna says that he and Joyce need to catch up with the people ahead of them. They get to the palace and go inside. They hear piano music, but they’re inside and haven’t found Chopin outside. Charm reach Pitch. Danny tells Oswald not to let him touch the piano again. Mirna isn’t clear on how to tune the key - she asks if they just have to clean off the string and rub it. Charm get started with the tuning and Mirna suggests turning all the strings. Joyce & Uchenna get directions. Charm’s piano sounds worse now, but they think it’s fine. Uchenna & Joyce find Chopin and pick Pitch; they’re not sure how to do it, but it might be easy. They note that they haven’t seen any other teams for close to 24 hours. Cha3 break another string. They think about switching tasks, as do Charm. Mirna would hate to lose the race because of this piano. Cha3 ultimately decide to stay. They finally start getting the hang of Pitch and get a pianist to try the piano out. It’s a go, and they hug the pianist. “If I were in town, I would ask for your number,” Oswald tells him. Hee. They get some congratulations from Charm and head off. Oswald says it was hard to get, but they stuck to it, and the pianist was hot. Danny adds that he was eye candy. Gotta have priorities. Charm are still considering switching Detours, and they finally leave for Angle. They know they’ve wasted time and other teams are catching up. Speaking of “other teams,” Joyce & Uchenna get to Pitch and quickly find the untuned key. Joyce says she used to play piano. Mirna isn’t looking forward to Angle because people on the street haven’t been very friendly so far. They get to the boutique and grab a buff, shirtless male mannequin. They wonder why there aren’t any women mannequins. Dude, eye candy! Don’t argue with it! Charm ask a cop for help, but he won’t aid them. They drop their mannequin and Mirna complains that she doesn’t want to be around these people anymore. Cha3 get to the monument and quickly run to the Pit Stop, checking in second. They’re very happy. Charm finally find someone who speaks English, and she agrees to take them to the lab. Mirna carries the mannequin on her back. He starts falling apart, but they note that he’ll get fixed at the hospital. It turns out the lab is right behind the boutique. There, Charm put on lead aprons and Mirna tells Charla to leave the lab before the x-ray machine is turned out. Whatever, Mirna. Joyce & Uchenna finish up Pitch and get their clue. Joyce says that was the one thing they did fast today. Charm look at their x-ray, which shows that their mannequin has ingested many dangerous items like scissors and tweezers. Bad mannequin! They can’t see the clue, though, because they don’t have, well, the perfect angle. Uchenna & Joyce get their clue at the monument and hit the mat in third place. They can’t believe it. Joyce says they communicate well when they have a common goal. She relies on Uchenna a lot and doesn’t know what she would do if he weren’t there. Charm finally get their clue and head to the monument. It’s dark now, and Mirna feels they’re in last place because no one else could have a worst day. Little does she knows that Eric & Danielle and Guido are just now in Frankfurt. Yikes. They have no idea where the other teams are. Charm get the monument clue and get to the Pit Stop in fourth place. Mirna asks if Phil is kidding and he says he wouldn’t kid with her. Yes, you would! Don’t lie, Phil. Eric & Danielle and Guido finally arrive in Warsaw 12 hours behind schedule. They’ve been traveling for 30 hours solid. How far behind are Guido and Danielle & Eric? Well, it’s 10:54 p.m. and they’re still traveling, but Kandice & Dustin’s 12 hours at the Pit Stop are already up and they’re starting the eighth leg. That sucks. You know what else sucks? Dustin & Kandice’s clue sends them to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Yes, that Auschwitz. I would be crying as soon as I opened the clue. They’re going via charter bus; there are two buses that leave four hours apart. Dustin & Kandice are subdued and know it’ll be a sad experience. Guido get a cab, followed by Eric & Danielle. Dustin & Kandice’s bus doesn’t leave until 1 p.m., so there’s a bit of an equalizer. Bill says they always run as if they’re going to be eliminated. Guido and Eric & Danielle are in the calmest car race ever. Guido reach the palace with Danielle & Eric right behind them. Poor “Chopin” is playing in the dark. Guido pick Angle but Eric & Danielle think Pitch will be easier, so the teams split up. Eric & Danielle are the first to arrive at their Detour but have no idea how to find out which key is out of tune. Guido reach the boutique and pick “hunkiest” mannequin. Well, of course. They get directions to the lab. Eric & Danielle tune but their piano still doesn’t sound right. At the lab, Guido try some laying on of hands and comment on the mannequin’s pecs. Their first attempt doesn’t give them their clue. Eric & Danielle’s piano is getting worse. Guido try to interpret the items in the mannequin, not realizing that there’s an actual written clue inside it. The mannequin isn’t helpful. Cha3 leave the Pit Stop. They’re sure the day will be sad. At Pitch, Eric breaks a string. Guido manhandle their mannequin. Eric wants to switch Detours, though he thinks Guido are probably already done. They’re not, and they’re getting frustrated. Danielle & Eric keep tuning and think they might be done. Guido’s mannequin is still not forthcoming. Eric & Danielle are done and get their clue. Eric hopes Guido took longer. Guido get their clue and both teams head to the monument, neither sure where they’re actually going. The first team to the monument is Eric & Danielle. They get to the Pit Stop in fifth place. Phil looks tired and cold, and he has some cute bedhead going on. He asks if they’ve lost confidence. Eric says they can win if they run with everyone else; it’s just a matter of, you know, catching up to the others. Guido search for the monument as Uchenna & Joyce leave the Pit Stop. Uchenna says it will be poignant to go to Auschwitz. Guido find the clue box and head to the mat, saying they had a good time and did their best. They arrive and are told that they’re last. Fortunately, it’s a non-elimination leg, which is only fair after the big mess that was the entire last leg. They’re happy, even though now they’re marked for elimination. Yeah, good luck with that. Phil notes that Guido will have to work hard on the next leg. Joe says they’re in an extraordinary situation with high tension. They have to figure out how to get out of this. It won’t be easy to make up this many hours. They can only do so much with the hand they’ve been dealt. In their first season, they fell 19 hours behind the other two teams in the final three and never caught up. Charm leave the Pit Stop. They’re sure it’ll be an emotional day. Uchenna & Joyce get tickets for the first charter bus, which Cha3 and Dustin & Kandice are also on. Charm, however, are on the second bus, which leaves at 5 p.m. They note that that means they’re tied for last place. At 1 p.m., Dustin & Kandice, Cha3, and Uchenna & Joyce are less than thrilled to be heading for a concentration camp. Still, they’re four hours ahead of the other teams. Eric & Danielle leave the Pit Stop as Eric says Danielle isn’t as focused as she could be. She and Dani screwed around during their season, but Eric is intense. They don’t leave until 5 p.m., so they go to get coffee. Eric continues that he doesn’t treat Danielle like a girlfriend, but like a partner. They fight about Danielle wanting coffee because it costs money. Eric says that Danielle doesn’t know how important money is at this point in the race because, well, she didn’t make it this far the first time. Danielle thinks that if they keep arguing, it’ll hurt them. She tells Eric that he makes things more miserable than they have to be. “Shut up,” says Eric. “Grow up,” Danielle shoots back. See? Made for each other. Guido leave at 3:32 p.m. They meet up with Eric & Danielle, who they would love to get rid of. Bill says Eric & Danielle don’t have the brainpower that needs to be there; Guido should beat them in that capacity instead of in a footrace. Speaking of mental prowess, Guido can’t find the ticket dispenser to get tickets for their charter bus. Oops! The 5 p.m. bus leaves with some frustrated people on it. Mirna says that people have to face things like what happened at Auschwitz or else we can’t learn from the past. That’s the most profound thing she’s said on the race. The first bus arrives at Auschwitz. There are candles with the clues, which are tied up as scrolls. They give some history on Auschwitz that makes Oswald choke up. The racers are sent to some railroad tracks to light candles. Dustin says her imagination started rolling and she could just see people being brought in like cattle and then separated, sometimes forever. Uchenna says he thought of books that were never written, ideas that were never tried, and relationships that couldn’t grow. He thinks it’s good that Auschwitz hasn’t been destroyed - we can’t forget what happened there. He adds that God forbid it ever happen again. I like that the race took the racers to Auschwitz, even though it made a normally fun, lighthearted journey heavy. Auschwitz is a place most people wouldn’t go. I would fall apart there, I know; my father’s family is Jewish and I’m always very moved by stories about the Holocaust. So bravo to the show for not just making everything fun, and for including some serious history in the race. The teams head to cabs. Uchenna says this experience has made him think about things that are more important. Joyce fills in that one of those things is respect for humans. In Cha3’s cab, Oswald says he grew up in a Communist country (Cuba) and had no freedom. Being at Auschwitz reminds him of where he could have lived forever. He’s grateful not to be there anymore. In America, he doesn’t have to worry about expressing who he is. The teams are now headed for the Juliusz Slowacki Theater in Krakow. Cha3 and Uchenna & Joyce get there first, but Dustin & Kandice’s cab is a little slower, so they decide to get a different one. They’re happy not to be fighting for last place. Their happiness will be short-lived, however, because the next clue box contains an Intersection. (As a refresher, the Intersection, just introduced last season, forces two teams to pair up to complete a task together.) There’s also a Fast Forward available that sends the teams to Market Square to climb two towers. They’ll have to count steps and add the numbers together to complete the task. Joyce & Uchenna and Cha3 team up, taking the Fast Forward and noting that Dustin & Kandice will have to wait for another team to arrive. That really sucks. Kandice & Dusting get to Intersection and agree that it sucks. Uchenna & Joyce and Cha3 arrive at the towers. They decide to climb the towers together, since they’re not in any rush. Back at the Intersection, Dustin says that it’s becoming a pattern for them to be the third team at the Intersection. (They had to wait for another team last season, too.) At the first tower, the Fast Forwarding teams get 111 steps, then head to the other tower. Uchenna says this has raised their spirits because they were quiet in the cab on the way there. He notes that the teams have experienced something together that can’t be replaced. Dustin & Kandice are sure Uchenna & Joyce and Cha3 took the Fast Forward, since it just requires adding numbers. At the Fast Forward, the teams get to the top of the second tower and start adding steps. Three of them have different numbers, but they’re right and get to go to the Pit Stop, Pieskowa Skala Castle, in marked cars. Guido, Charm, and Eric & Danielle get to Auschwitz and light their candles. Bill is choked up. He says that he and Joe have seen movies and images of the Holocaust, but nothing can describe the emotion and silence of being there. He felt the weight of all those souls. It’s unthinkable what those people had to go through. Eric says it put things in perspective - his and Danielle’s fights over nothing don’t matter. Charm can’t imagine what people went through here. Mirna talks about their family having to go through genocide because of the Turks, so they can relate to this. Eric notes that the people at Auschwitz had no control over what happened to them. It makes him grateful for what he has. Bill is happy to be born in a time where he and Joe can be themselves. Back then, people like them couldn’t express themselves. It’s unbelievable how one man could treat another in such horrible ways, and others let it happen. On the way to the Pit Stop, Uchenna admits that he’s still freaked out by being at Auschwitz. He hopes that people won’t all destroy each other. Charm drive through fog in the dark. Eric & Danielle aren’t sure where the other teams are. Eric notes that they just need to beat Guido to the mat by half an hour or less. Cha3 and Uchenna & Joyce reach the Pit Stop and run up to the castle together. For some reason, it reminds me of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion all skipping down the Yellow Brick Road together. The teams jump on mat together and are all in first place. Group hug! There’s only one prize, and they get to decide who gets it. Cha3 agree to give it up, which makes sense, since they’ve already gotten a trip. Joyce & Uchenna get a trip to St. Lucia. Oswald notes that they won’t be giving up the million dollars, though. Dustin & Kandice are still at the Intersection. The Guidos are their first choice to work with, followed by Eric & Danielle and then Charm. Of course, it’s just their luck that Charm arrive first. Kandice & Dustin hide and wait to see if anyone else arrives. Finally they decide to just let Charm know that they’re waiting at the Intersection so they can get started already. The clue at the Intersection is a Detour, and the choices are Eat it Up and Roll it Out. In Eat, the teams go to a market and make sausage. Yeah, producers? The teams did that in Season 6. Oh, but then they have to eat two feet of sausage each. Yeah, that’s much better. In Roll, teams go to the city’s all-Jewish quarter and make bagels in a bakery, then deliver them. Kandice thinks Eat would be faster; plus, afterwards, they can just throw up. Mirna isn’t happy about that idea, but the teams decide to do it anyway. Eric & Danielle and Guido arrive at the Intersection. They discuss Eat. D doesn’t know how long 24 inches are. Gotta love the American educational system. Bill says that if Danielle can’t eat the sausage, they’re sunk. They pick Roll instead. Eric notes that he and Danielle had to partner with Guido, but at least they know where the Guidos are. Charm and Danielle & Kandice head to Eat. Too bad Charm don’t like sausage. Mirna laughs about how they’ve already carried a naked mannequin, and now they’re eating sausage. Dirty! Danielle & Eric and Guido look for the bakery; their taxi drivers aren’t from Krakow and don’t know where to take them. Dustin & Kandice and Charm “bond over sausages.” Guido and Eric & Danielle are unsuccessful in getting directions and consider switching tasks. Danielle doesn’t care anymore and agrees to switch. Dustin & Kandice and Charm get the okay on their sausage and say a quick prayer, asking God to help them eat and give the sausage good taste. I have to say, that’s the most interesting prayer I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard three-year-olds pray. The women start eating. Charla doesn’t look happy. Dustin notes they should count their blessings that they’re alone. Not for long - here are Guido and Eric & Danielle. Montage of sausage making and eating. Kandice notes that they chose the wrong task. Mirna burps. Eric & Danielle and Guido get the okay and dig in. Danielle likes the sausage, so that’s a plus. Charla has a lot left. Dustin thinks Charm’s interactions with each other are amusing. Joe notes that Eric isn’t eating very quickly. He’s worried because he and Bill are the ones facing a 30-minute penalty. Another eating montage. Watching people chew is very boring. Joe is the first to finish. Charla is having a hard time concentrating. Kandice finishes, then Dustin, who proceeds to throw up. “Ladies and gentlemen, Miss California!” Eric exclaims. Hee hee. She’s a good sport about it. Mirna finishes, but Charla still has a lot of sausage left. She decides to… um… make some room in her stomach. This has the added benefit of grossing Danielle out. Bill finishes eating. Charla appears to be stuffing sausage down her throat. Eric & Danielle are almost done, and they finish before Charla. The teams are now separated and are on their way to Skala and the Pit Stop. Charla finishes and Charm and Kandice & Dustin head off as well. The teams have to drive themselves now, so they have to find marked cars. Dustin & Kandice are the first to find one, and they get a taxi to follow. Everyone else isn’t feeling well, so they’re not exactly running to the cars. Guido hear a screech and note that Mirna’s probably trying to start a car. Ha, they’re right. Guido get ahead of Danielle & Eric while Mirna has brake problems and ask a taxi driver for help. Dustin & Kandice and their weird hats follow their taxi. Charm are frustrated and wind up following two taxis. Kandice & Dustin are still trying to be cheerful after their rough day. Guido and Danielle & Eric can’t get directions. Charm try to get rid of a taxi driver. Guido get on the right track, as do Eric & Danielle. Mirna and the taxi drivers negotiate prices. Guido hope Mirna’s bad driving puts Charm 30 minutes behind them. Mirna would like sympathy from the cab drivers she’s been screaming at. During the commercials, I find myself saying to my eternally hungry, wailing cat, “Leave me alone, would you? Have some sympathy for another human being,” in an Armenian accent. I need help. Charm finally get some sympathy and head off behind their driver. Mirna would love to leave Poland. Dustin & Kandice and Guido are both approaching Skala. Guido think that they might be okay. Eric & Danielle’s driver stops for some reason. Mirna says it’ll be a miracle if their driver knows where he’s going. He stops and double-checks where they’re going. Mirna asks Charla what she’s doing, since she’s not looking at the map or holding the clue. Charla says she’s doing nothing. Mirna asks what she’s supposed to do. Charla tells her to just yell more. Kandice & Dustin and Guido are still on the right path. Eric & Danielle have found Skala, too. Kandice & Dustin find the clue box and get a Roadblock clue: “Who wants to be a knight in shining armor?” Um, there are only ten minutes left. Just saying. One racer has to wear armor and take a horse to a stable boy. That’s stupid. I mean, they don’t even have to ride the horse. Dustin takes the task. Guido, Eric & Danielle, and Charm are still driving. Charm arrive and Mirna asks if she should do the Roadblock so they don’t lose. Smack her, Charla. Charla takes it, even though the armor is heavy and she’s not sure how she’ll be able to lead the horse. Guido is right behind Eric & Danielle on the road. Dustin & Kandice and Charm walk with the horses. Eric & Danielle and Guido arrive, with Eric and Bill taking the Roadblock. They get a chuckle out of seeing Charla in armor. Charla is having trouble with the horse, but Dustin is fine and she and Kandice arrive at the Pit Stop in third place. Bill suggests talking to the horse like Guido. Mirna begs Charla to do better. Instead, she falls over. The horse also stops to have a snack. Mirna offers him sausage. Charla’s about ready to give up. Still, Charm get to the mat in fourth place. Bill gallops to the mat in his armor, and he and Joe are fifth. However, they have 30 minutes to wait, and Eric & Danielle are right behind them. They’re fifth and Guido are out. The shot of Bill in armor with his arm around Joe’s shoulders is priceless. Bill says they’ve had a lot of fun together and his tears are happy ones. Joe thinks they can walk away with their heads held high, proud of what they’ve accomplished. It was another life-altering experience. Bill says he’s had a knight in shining armor for years now. You should spend your life surrounded by people who make you happy, and he’s done that. So sweet! I’ll miss them. Next week: the Easter Bunny comes! Wait, why is there a show next week? I figured they did two hours tonight because there wouldn’t be a show next week. Sigh. Anyway, Charm make Eric & Danielle mad enough to mock them in a cab. Cha3 bicker. Uh oh.
The Amazing Race: All-Stars, Episode 7 - It’s All Fun and Games… by Jenn Brasler -- 04/02/2007 …until the racers have to visit a concentration camp. In between carrying half-naked mannequins and making sausage, the remaining racers are in for some reflection at Auschwitz in Poland. Will this have any affect on Eric & Danielle and their now-constant bickering? Previously on Two Guys Walk Into a Zanzibar…: Seven teams traveled from Mozambique to Zanzibar. Charm took a risk to get ahead, and it paid off. Eric & Danielle were kicked off a plane and Danielle had a hissy fit. They wound up with Guido and Teri & Ian. Charm kept their lead, staying ahead of Cha3 at the Roadblock and coming in first for the second leg in a row. 16 hours later, Guido beat Teri & Ian at the Detour, and Ian & Teri were eliminated. Six teams remain: Charla & Mirna (Charm) - Cousins/Just because you’re a lawyer doesn’t mean you know what a catamaran is Oswald & Danny (Cha3) - Friends/They brake for fruit Uchenna & Joyce - Married/Lucky to still be in this Kandice & Dustin - Friends/As long as they read, they do pretty well Eric & Danielle - Dating/Meh Bill & Joe (Guido) - Partners/Not doing so hot Some kid runs naked on the beach in Zanzibar and has to be blurred. Oh, and there’s Phil. Can Guido make up for lost time? Charm are the first to leave at 4:20 a.m. They’re headed for Warsaw, Poland, where they’ll go to Czapski Palace, the childhood home of Frederic Chopin. Flights are limited, so the teams have tickets for a flight that arrives t\he next day at 11:25 a.m., but they’re free to find a better flight. Mirna interviews that it might actually be better to fly under the radar and not be seen as a threat. She and Charla decide to wait for Cha3 and share a cab. Cha3 leave. Oswald says they’re having fun and enjoying themselves while also being competitive. They’ll help others, but they won’t form any alliances or joint ventures. They head off with Charm. At 7:55 a.m., Uchenna & Joyce leave. Uchenna says their spirits have been lifted after not being that affected by their 30-minute penalty. He adds that having special times together helps them grow as a couple. Joyce says this is the excitement their relationship needs. They’re going to try their luck at the South African Airways office. Dustin & Kandice leave just five minutes later. One is excited about seeing Chopin play piano at the palace; I guess no one told her that he’s been dead for, oh, 160 years. Kandice interviews that their tricks don’t work this time around because everyone has the same tricks. She says they just have to hang on and stay in the middle of the pack. However, they also need to step it up or they’ll be out. Uchenna & Joyce head to South African Airways, but it doesn’t open until 8:30. Joyce hopes the agents come to work on time. Cha3 and Charm arrive at another agency, where Dustin & Kandice soon join them. Uchenna & Joyce consider calling that agency, and they do so just as it opens. Dustin & Kandice figure out that the agent they want to talk to is dealing with Joyce & Uchenna. Dustin and Mirna ask if the agent can call Uchenna back, since they were there first. Uchenna asks the agent who’s asking her to hang up on him. He notes that they’re in a competition with each other. Dustin tells the agent to just hang up, and the woman tells Uchenna to call back. Um, aren’t there other people there to help them? That was weird. As Mirna and Dustin & Kandice talk to two different agents, Mirna asks hers not to share info with Kandice & Dustin. Oswald explains that with him and Danny working with Charm, they have four aggressive racers together, two of whom talk a lot. They’re channeling all of their information through Mirna and letting her do the work. Mirna offers a commission to the agent as Dustin notes that often Charm get rude and lean across desks to talk to people. Yeah, the agent doesn’t look too happy. Uchenna & Joyce decide to work through the agency they’re in. Joyce hopes someone will wind up having to take the provided flight. At the other agency, Mirna is told about a flight that arrives in Warsaw at noon. As they try to figure out what Kandice & Dustin are being told, Oswald comments that it’s like a spy game. If this were Alias, Oswald would be Weiss. Dustin & Kandice get a flight to Warsaw via Addis Ababa and Frankfurt. It lands at 9:10. Charla asks their agent to check on that route. Dustin & Kandice are done and head off, but right now Charm and Cha3 have nothing. Mirna says she’s having a heart attack and needs emergency help. I’m guessing she’s not thinking the agent is taking her seriously. Kandice & Dustin are quickly on their way to Warsaw. Cha3 and Charm have been in their agency for four hours. So have Uchenna & Joyce, who finally get a flight through South Africa and will be on the same Frankfurt-to-Warsaw flight as Kandice & Dustin. Danielle & Eric leave the Pit Stop way behind the first four teams. Danielle complains about Eric in an interview. Hey, you’re the one who decided to date him, not me. In the cab, Danielle says she thinks she looks like a Polish girl. Eric says she didn’t even know where Poland was before this. Cha3 and Charm hear about a flight that lands at 5:10 p.m. They complain about their slow agent. As Uchenna & Joyce fly to Frankfurt, Danielle & Eric meet up with Cha3 and Charm at their agency. They’re told they’ll be waiting for a while - Charm and Cha3 have been there for seven hours. Eric asks if there’s a better flight than the provided one. Mirna sarcastically tells him that there is one, but they decided not to take it so they could hang out with him. She finally found a sense of humor! Eric suggests to Danielle that they try another agency. Danielle doesn’t think they’ll find one, so Eric passive-aggressively tells her they’ll stay. Danielle says arguing with him is like talking to a five-year-old. They head off, bickering about stubbornness and how Danielle is annoying. She says his personality is irritating. This is why they’re actually perfect for each other. Charm and Cha3’s agent finds them another flight through Amsterdam that lands in Warsaw at 9:45. They finally head off. Eric & Danielle reach another agency and are told that now the 11:25 flight is their best choice. At the airport, Charm say goodbye to Zanzibar and leave at 4 p.m. Eric & Danielle bicker more. Eric says there’s no way to handle Danielle when she’s like this. She just has to calm down and get herself out of it. They keep bickering. Okay, shut it, you two. At 7:01 p.m., Guido leave the Pit Stop. Bill says they’re trying to do the best they can. Sixth place used to be the middle of the pack, but now it’s at the back. They need to step it up. They’re going to try to get on the provided flight, since they think it’s the first one they can get. At the airport, they are spotted by Eric & Danielle, who decide to hide but don’t do a very good job. Joe says they’re happier to see Eric & Danielle than they are to see Guido. Danielle interviews that she doesn’t like them. Apparently Danielle can only talk about two subjects - how she doesn’t like Guido and how annoying Eric is. Eric says they want to move up because they don’t like this spot. Their flight is connecting through Amsterdam, but there isn’t much time between their two flights. In Tanzania, the two teams try to get their connecting tickets but are told they’re too late. They ask someone to radio the pilot and wait for them, since the plane is still there. They make the guy run out to the plane while they complain. “What’s wrong with these people?” Danielle asks. She refuses to stay in the airport. The guy tells them getting on the plane is impossible, even though the plane is right there and they have tickets. Joe says they’ll be stuck there, then tries to flag down the plane and make it stop. Bill thinks he’s lost it. Joe yells for someone to put the stairs back at the plane. “I guess that didn’t work,” Bill says, half amused and half freaked, I think. Eric says they’re three days behind everyone else. Once Joe returns, Bill tells him he wasn’t proud of that display. Joe sarcastically says he’s glad. Danielle complains that things are always miserable on the race. Eric says it’ll be them and Guido running around trying not be eliminated. The next flight out is at 6 a.m. Ouch. They head to a hotel and agree to meet up in the morning, though Bill isn’t sure they can trust Eric. Eric interviews that if he shakes someone’s hand and says he’ll do something, he’ll do it. Bill thinks it’s nice of him to offer a deal. Of course, once the teams land, they’re on their own again. In Frankfurt, Dustin & Kandice and Uchenna & Joyce head off to get tickets for their connecting flight. Kandice & Dustin ask for aisle seats while a guy sends Joyce & Uchenna to the gate. Dustin & Kandice get on the plane, but Uchenna & Joyce are told they won’t make the flight, which leaves in 15 minutes. Uchenna interviews that everything was perfect, and then they were kicked off the flight. (Not literally, like Eric & Danielle, though.) Dustin & Kandice fly off. Guido and Eric & Danielle get tickets for the 6 a.m. flight, happy to finally be flying somewhere. In Warsaw, there is music and a guy in armor. It’s 9:07 a.m., and Dustin & Kandice are the only team there. Dustin says that she used to play the piano, and Chopin was one of her favorite composer to play. She says she’ll pretend the fake Chopin is the real one. Kandice pronounces his name like she’s using air quotes. Dustin says it’ll be like meeting Santa Claus. Charm and Cha3 are on their way to Warsaw. Mirna isn’t sure where the other teams are. Dustin & Kandice get to the palace and meet “Chopin.” They enjoy the music before getting their clue, a Detour. The choices are Perfect Angle and Perfect Pitch. In Pitch, teams go to another palace and tune a piano key, then listen to a Chopin piece played on the same piano before getting the next clue. In Angle, teams go to a boutique, get a mannequin, and take it to a lab. There, they’ll use an x-ray machine to find a clue inside the mannequin. Dustin & Kandice decide to do Pitch, since Dustin has piano experience and thinks she can figure out how to tune a key. Charm and Cha3 land in Warsaw. Charm ask their cab driver about Polish sausage and hot dogs. Wow. Shut up. Cha3 get a taxi and tell their driver they trust him. Oswald notes that they have no choice. Kandice & Dustin arrive at Pitch and get a tuning demonstration. Dusting plays a scale to figure out which key is out of tune. Charm arrive at a church instead of the palace. I kind of hope their driver took them there on purpose. Dustin & Kandice keep tuning, Dustin noting there are three strings attached to each key. They get their key in tune and a guy plays for them. Their clue is a sheet of music that contains the name Jan II Sobieski. The racers are supposed to figure out that it’s directing them to a monument for a king. Dustin & Kandice head back to their cab. Charm try to get help. No one will even talk to them. Mirna says it’s frustrating that no one will reach out to “two young girls.” She says things aren’t like this in America. Mirna wonders if people in Poland have never seen a little person. They run from Charm like they’re the plague. Too easy. Cha3 pass Charm in their cab and get to the palace. They choose Pitch, though Danny thinks Angle sounds easy. They get a local to help them and Oswald asks how to say “Three Musketeers” in Polish. Hee. Charm finally get some help at a hotel, it looks like. Dustin & K get to the monument and their clue sends them straight to the next Pit Stop. It’s only 8:32! Must be a double leg. The two ditch their packs and easily find the Pit Stop, happily checking in first and getting a trip to Puerto Rico. Phil reminds them that they keep saying they’ll be the first all-female team to win the race. Kandice says it’s possible, but they need constant focus and consistency. “The blondies are back on the board,” she adds. At 11:02 a.m., Uchenna & Joyce arrive in Warsaw. Cha3 reach Pitch and Danny starts playing “Heart and Soul.” Oswald interviews that they’ve been friends for 13 years and he never knew Danny played the piano. They start tuning and wonder if they’re trying to fix wrong key. Charm veto Perfect “Angel” for Pitch. Meanwhile, Danny breaks a string, which has to be changed. They note that maybe they should have carried the mannequin. Uchenna says that he and Joyce need to catch up with the people ahead of them. They get to the palace and go inside. They hear piano music, but they’re inside and haven’t found Chopin outside. Charm reach Pitch. Danny tells Oswald not to let him touch the piano again. Mirna isn’t clear on how to tune the key - she asks if they just have to clean off the string and rub it. Charm get started with the tuning and Mirna suggests turning all the strings. Joyce & Uchenna get directions. Charm’s piano sounds worse now, but they think it’s fine. Uchenna & Joyce find Chopin and pick Pitch; they’re not sure how to do it, but it might be easy. They note that they haven’t seen any other teams for close to 24 hours. Cha3 break another string. They think about switching tasks, as do Charm. Mirna would hate to lose the race because of this piano. Cha3 ultimately decide to stay. They finally start getting the hang of Pitch and get a pianist to try the piano out. It’s a go, and they hug the pianist. “If I were in town, I would ask for your number,” Oswald tells him. Hee. They get some congratulations from Charm and head off. Oswald says it was hard to get, but they stuck to it, and the pianist was hot. Danny adds that he was eye candy. Gotta have priorities. Charm are still considering switching Detours, and they finally leave for Angle. They know they’ve wasted time and other teams are catching up. Speaking of “other teams,” Joyce & Uchenna get to Pitch and quickly find the untuned key. Joyce says she used to play piano. Mirna isn’t looking forward to Angle because people on the street haven’t been very friendly so far. They get to the boutique and grab a buff, shirtless male mannequin. They wonder why there aren’t any women mannequins. Dude, eye candy! Don’t argue with it! Charm ask a cop for help, but he won’t aid them. They drop their mannequin and Mirna complains that she doesn’t want to be around these people anymore. Cha3 get to the monument and quickly run to the Pit Stop, checking in second. They’re very happy. Charm finally find someone who speaks English, and she agrees to take them to the lab. Mirna carries the mannequin on her back. He starts falling apart, but they note that he’ll get fixed at the hospital. It turns out the lab is right behind the boutique. There, Charm put on lead aprons and Mirna tells Charla to leave the lab before the x-ray machine is turned out. Whatever, Mirna. Joyce & Uchenna finish up Pitch and get their clue. Joyce says that was the one thing they did fast today. Charm look at their x-ray, which shows that their mannequin has ingested many dangerous items like scissors and tweezers. Bad mannequin! They can’t see the clue, though, because they don’t have, well, the perfect angle. Uchenna & Joyce get their clue at the monument and hit the mat in third place. They can’t believe it. Joyce says they communicate well when they have a common goal. She relies on Uchenna a lot and doesn’t know what she would do if he weren’t there. Charm finally get their clue and head to the monument. It’s dark now, and Mirna feels they’re in last place because no one else could have a worst day. Little does she knows that Eric & Danielle and Guido are just now in Frankfurt. Yikes. They have no idea where the other teams are. Charm get the monument clue and get to the Pit Stop in fourth place. Mirna asks if Phil is kidding and he says he wouldn’t kid with her. Yes, you would! Don’t lie, Phil. Eric & Danielle and Guido finally arrive in Warsaw 12 hours behind schedule. They’ve been traveling for 30 hours solid. How far behind are Guido and Danielle & Eric? Well, it’s 10:54 p.m. and they’re still traveling, but Kandice & Dustin’s 12 hours at the Pit Stop are already up and they’re starting the eighth leg. That sucks. You know what else sucks? Dustin & Kandice’s clue sends them to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Yes, that Auschwitz. I would be crying as soon as I opened the clue. They’re going via charter bus; there are two buses that leave four hours apart. Dustin & Kandice are subdued and know it’ll be a sad experience. Guido get a cab, followed by Eric & Danielle. Dustin & Kandice’s bus doesn’t leave until 1 p.m., so there’s a bit of an equalizer. Bill says they always run as if they’re going to be eliminated. Guido and Eric & Danielle are in the calmest car race ever. Guido reach the palace with Danielle & Eric right behind them. Poor “Chopin” is playing in the dark. Guido pick Angle but Eric & Danielle think Pitch will be easier, so the teams split up. Eric & Danielle are the first to arrive at their Detour but have no idea how to find out which key is out of tune. Guido reach the boutique and pick “hunkiest” mannequin. Well, of course. They get directions to the lab. Eric & Danielle tune but their piano still doesn’t sound right. At the lab, Guido try some laying on of hands and comment on the mannequin’s pecs. Their first attempt doesn’t give them their clue. Eric & Danielle’s piano is getting worse. Guido try to interpret the items in the mannequin, not realizing that there’s an actual written clue inside it. The mannequin isn’t helpful. Cha3 leave the Pit Stop. They’re sure the day will be sad. At Pitch, Eric breaks a string. Guido manhandle their mannequin. Eric wants to switch Detours, though he thinks Guido are probably already done. They’re not, and they’re getting frustrated. Danielle & Eric keep tuning and think they might be done. Guido’s mannequin is still not forthcoming. Eric & Danielle are done and get their clue. Eric hopes Guido took longer. Guido get their clue and both teams head to the monument, neither sure where they’re actually going. The first team to the monument is Eric & Danielle. They get to the Pit Stop in fifth place. Phil looks tired and cold, and he has some cute bedhead going on. He asks if they’ve lost confidence. Eric says they can win if they run with everyone else; it’s just a matter of, you know, catching up to the others. Guido search for the monument as Uchenna & Joyce leave the Pit Stop. Uchenna says it will be poignant to go to Auschwitz. Guido find the clue box and head to the mat, saying they had a good time and did their best. They arrive and are told that they’re last. Fortunately, it’s a non-elimination leg, which is only fair after the big mess that was the entire last leg. They’re happy, even though now they’re marked for elimination. Yeah, good luck with that. Phil notes that Guido will have to work hard on the next leg. Joe says they’re in an extraordinary situation with high tension. They have to figure out how to get out of this. It won’t be easy to make up this many hours. They can only do so much with the hand they’ve been dealt. In their first season, they fell 19 hours behind the other two teams in the final three and never caught up. Charm leave the Pit Stop. They’re sure it’ll be an emotional day. Uchenna & Joyce get tickets for the first charter bus, which Cha3 and Dustin & Kandice are also on. Charm, however, are on the second bus, which leaves at 5 p.m. They note that that means they’re tied for last place. At 1 p.m., Dustin & Kandice, Cha3, and Uchenna & Joyce are less than thrilled to be heading for a concentration camp. Still, they’re four hours ahead of the other teams. Eric & Danielle leave the Pit Stop as Eric says Danielle isn’t as focused as she could be. She and Dani screwed around during their season, but Eric is intense. They don’t leave until 5 p.m., so they go to get coffee. Eric continues that he doesn’t treat Danielle like a girlfriend, but like a partner. They fight about Danielle wanting coffee because it costs money. Eric says that Danielle doesn’t know how important money is at this point in the race because, well, she didn’t make it this far the first time. Danielle thinks that if they keep arguing, it’ll hurt them. She tells Eric that he makes things more miserable than they have to be. “Shut up,” says Eric. “Grow up,” Danielle shoots back. See? Made for each other. Guido leave at 3:32 p.m. They meet up with Eric & Danielle, who they would love to get rid of. Bill says Eric & Danielle don’t have the brainpower that needs to be there; Guido should beat them in that capacity instead of in a footrace. Speaking of mental prowess, Guido can’t find the ticket dispenser to get tickets for their charter bus. Oops! The 5 p.m. bus leaves with some frustrated people on it. Mirna says that people have to face things like what happened at Auschwitz or else we can’t learn from the past. That’s the most profound thing she’s said on the race. The first bus arrives at Auschwitz. There are candles with the clues, which are tied up as scrolls. They give some history on Auschwitz that makes Oswald choke up. The racers are sent to some railroad tracks to light candles. Dustin says her imagination started rolling and she could just see people being brought in like cattle and then separated, sometimes forever. Uchenna says he thought of books that were never written, ideas that were never tried, and relationships that couldn’t grow. He thinks it’s good that Auschwitz hasn’t been destroyed - we can’t forget what happened there. He adds that God forbid it ever happen again. I like that the race took the racers to Auschwitz, even though it made a normally fun, lighthearted journey heavy. Auschwitz is a place most people wouldn’t go. I would fall apart there, I know; my father’s family is Jewish and I’m always very moved by stories about the Holocaust. So bravo to the show for not just making everything fun, and for including some serious history in the race. The teams head to cabs. Uchenna says this experience has made him think about things that are more important. Joyce fills in that one of those things is respect for humans. In Cha3’s cab, Oswald says he grew up in a Communist country (Cuba) and had no freedom. Being at Auschwitz reminds him of where he could have lived forever. He’s grateful not to be there anymore. In America, he doesn’t have to worry about expressing who he is. The teams are now headed for the Juliusz Slowacki Theater in Krakow. Cha3 and Uchenna & Joyce get there first, but Dustin & Kandice’s cab is a little slower, so they decide to get a different one. They’re happy not to be fighting for last place. Their happiness will be short-lived, however, because the next clue box contains an Intersection. (As a refresher, the Intersection, just introduced last season, forces two teams to pair up to complete a task together.) There’s also a Fast Forward available that sends the teams to Market Square to climb two towers. They’ll have to count steps and add the numbers together to complete the task. Joyce & Uchenna and Cha3 team up, taking the Fast Forward and noting that Dustin & Kandice will have to wait for another team to arrive. That really sucks. Kandice & Dusting get to Intersection and agree that it sucks. Uchenna & Joyce and Cha3 arrive at the towers. They decide to climb the towers together, since they’re not in any rush. Back at the Intersection, Dustin says that it’s becoming a pattern for them to be the third team at the Intersection. (They had to wait for another team last season, too.) At the first tower, the Fast Forwarding teams get 111 steps, then head to the other tower. Uchenna says this has raised their spirits because they were quiet in the cab on the way there. He notes that the teams have experienced something together that can’t be replaced. Dustin & Kandice are sure Uchenna & Joyce and Cha3 took the Fast Forward, since it just requires adding numbers. At the Fast Forward, the teams get to the top of the second tower and start adding steps. Three of them have different numbers, but they’re right and get to go to the Pit Stop, Pieskowa Skala Castle, in marked cars. Guido, Charm, and Eric & Danielle get to Auschwitz and light their candles. Bill is choked up. He says that he and Joe have seen movies and images of the Holocaust, but nothing can describe the emotion and silence of being there. He felt the weight of all those souls. It’s unthinkable what those people had to go through. Eric says it put things in perspective - his and Danielle’s fights over nothing don’t matter. Charm can’t imagine what people went through here. Mirna talks about their family having to go through genocide because of the Turks, so they can relate to this. Eric notes that the people at Auschwitz had no control over what happened to them. It makes him grateful for what he has. Bill is happy to be born in a time where he and Joe can be themselves. Back then, people like them couldn’t express themselves. It’s unbelievable how one man could treat another in such horrible ways, and others let it happen. On the way to the Pit Stop, Uchenna admits that he’s still freaked out by being at Auschwitz. He hopes that people won’t all destroy each other. Charm drive through fog in the dark. Eric & Danielle aren’t sure where the other teams are. Eric notes that they just need to beat Guido to the mat by half an hour or less. Cha3 and Uchenna & Joyce reach the Pit Stop and run up to the castle together. For some reason, it reminds me of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion all skipping down the Yellow Brick Road together. The teams jump on mat together and are all in first place. Group hug! There’s only one prize, and they get to decide who gets it. Cha3 agree to give it up, which makes sense, since they’ve already gotten a trip. Joyce & Uchenna get a trip to St. Lucia. Oswald notes that they won’t be giving up the million dollars, though. Dustin & Kandice are still at the Intersection. The Guidos are their first choice to work with, followed by Eric & Danielle and then Charm. Of course, it’s just their luck that Charm arrive first. Kandice & Dustin hide and wait to see if anyone else arrives. Finally they decide to just let Charm know that they’re waiting at the Intersection so they can get started already. The clue at the Intersection is a Detour, and the choices are Eat it Up and Roll it Out. In Eat, the teams go to a market and make sausage. Yeah, producers? The teams did that in Season 6. Oh, but then they have to eat two feet of sausage each. Yeah, that’s much better. In Roll, teams go to the city’s all-Jewish quarter and make bagels in a bakery, then deliver them. Kandice thinks Eat would be faster; plus, afterwards, they can just throw up. Mirna isn’t happy about that idea, but the teams decide to do it anyway. Eric & Danielle and Guido arrive at the Intersection. They discuss Eat. D doesn’t know how long 24 inches are. Gotta love the American educational system. Bill says that if Danielle can’t eat the sausage, they’re sunk. They pick Roll instead. Eric notes that he and Danielle had to partner with Guido, but at least they know where the Guidos are. Charm and Danielle & Kandice head to Eat. Too bad Charm don’t like sausage. Mirna laughs about how they’ve already carried a naked mannequin, and now they’re eating sausage. Dirty! Danielle & Eric and Guido look for the bakery; their taxi drivers aren’t from Krakow and don’t know where to take them. Dustin & Kandice and Charm “bond over sausages.” Guido and Eric & Danielle are unsuccessful in getting directions and consider switching tasks. Danielle doesn’t care anymore and agrees to switch. Dustin & Kandice and Charm get the okay on their sausage and say a quick prayer, asking God to help them eat and give the sausage good taste. I have to say, that’s the most interesting prayer I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard three-year-olds pray. The women start eating. Charla doesn’t look happy. Dustin notes they should count their blessings that they’re alone. Not for long - here are Guido and Eric & Danielle. Montage of sausage making and eating. Kandice notes that they chose the wrong task. Mirna burps. Eric & Danielle and Guido get the okay and dig in. Danielle likes the sausage, so that’s a plus. Charla has a lot left. Dustin thinks Charm’s interactions with each other are amusing. Joe notes that Eric isn’t eating very quickly. He’s worried because he and Bill are the ones facing a 30-minute penalty. Another eating montage. Watching people chew is very boring. Joe is the first to finish. Charla is having a hard time concentrating. Kandice finishes, then Dustin, who proceeds to throw up. “Ladies and gentlemen, Miss California!” Eric exclaims. Hee hee. She’s a good sport about it. Mirna finishes, but Charla still has a lot of sausage left. She decides to… um… make some room in her stomach. This has the added benefit of grossing Danielle out. Bill finishes eating. Charla appears to be stuffing sausage down her throat. Eric & Danielle are almost done, and they finish before Charla. The teams are now separated and are on their way to Skala and the Pit Stop. Charla finishes and Charm and Kandice & Dustin head off as well. The teams have to drive themselves now, so they have to find marked cars. Dustin & Kandice are the first to find one, and they get a taxi to follow. Everyone else isn’t feeling well, so they’re not exactly running to the cars. Guido hear a screech and note that Mirna’s probably trying to start a car. Ha, they’re right. Guido get ahead of Danielle & Eric while Mirna has brake problems and ask a taxi driver for help. Dustin & Kandice and their weird hats follow their taxi. Charm are frustrated and wind up following two taxis. Kandice & Dustin are still trying to be cheerful after their rough day. Guido and Danielle & Eric can’t get directions. Charm try to get rid of a taxi driver. Guido get on the right track, as do Eric & Danielle. Mirna and the taxi drivers negotiate prices. Guido hope Mirna’s bad driving puts Charm 30 minutes behind them. Mirna would like sympathy from the cab drivers she’s been screaming at. During the commercials, I find myself saying to my eternally hungry, wailing cat, “Leave me alone, would you? Have some sympathy for another human being,” in an Armenian accent. I need help. Charm finally get some sympathy and head off behind their driver. Mirna would love to leave Poland. Dustin & Kandice and Guido are both approaching Skala. Guido think that they might be okay. Eric & Danielle’s driver stops for some reason. Mirna says it’ll be a miracle if their driver knows where he’s going. He stops and double-checks where they’re going. Mirna asks Charla what she’s doing, since she’s not looking at the map or holding the clue. Charla says she’s doing nothing. Mirna asks what she’s supposed to do. Charla tells her to just yell more. Kandice & Dustin and Guido are still on the right path. Eric & Danielle have found Skala, too. Kandice & Dustin find the clue box and get a Roadblock clue: “Who wants to be a knight in shining armor?” Um, there are only ten minutes left. Just saying. One racer has to wear armor and take a horse to a stable boy. That’s stupid. I mean, they don’t even have to ride the horse. Dustin takes the task. Guido, Eric & Danielle, and Charm are still driving. Charm arrive and Mirna asks if she should do the Roadblock so they don’t lose. Smack her, Charla. Charla takes it, even though the armor is heavy and she’s not sure how she’ll be able to lead the horse. Guido is right behind Eric & Danielle on the road. Dustin & Kandice and Charm walk with the horses. Eric & Danielle and Guido arrive, with Eric and Bill taking the Roadblock. They get a chuckle out of seeing Charla in armor. Charla is having trouble with the horse, but Dustin is fine and she and Kandice arrive at the Pit Stop in third place. Bill suggests talking to the horse like Guido. Mirna begs Charla to do better. Instead, she falls over. The horse also stops to have a snack. Mirna offers him sausage. Charla’s about ready to give up. Still, Charm get to the mat in fourth place. Bill gallops to the mat in his armor, and he and Joe are fifth. However, they have 30 minutes to wait, and Eric & Danielle are right behind them. They’re fifth and Guido are out. The shot of Bill in armor with his arm around Joe’s shoulders is priceless. Bill says they’ve had a lot of fun together and his tears are happy ones. Joe thinks they can walk away with their heads held high, proud of what they’ve accomplished. It was another life-altering experience. Bill says he’s had a knight in shining armor for years now. You should spend your life surrounded by people who make you happy, and he’s done that. So sweet! I’ll miss them. Next week: the Easter Bunny comes! Wait, why is there a show next week? I figured they did two hours tonight because there wouldn’t be a show next week. Sigh. Anyway, Charm make Eric & Danielle mad enough to mock them in a cab. Cha3 bicker. Uh oh.