Recap, Episode 11: Frat Brothers: So Close, But Not Enough
Leaving Baggage Behind The eleventh leg of the race began at Pai Plong beach in southern Thailand. Four Teams remained at the beginning of this last leg to end with an elimination. Rob & Brennan and Frank & Margarita had built a solid lead on Kevin & Drew and Joe & Bill, who were another two hours behind Kevin & Drew. These trailing Teams would have to hustle to make up time on the leaders. At 6:03 a.m., Rob & Brennan departed Pai Plong. They opened up the race envelope to discover that their next destination was Top Pavilion at Jingshan Park in Beijing, China, located 2500 miles away. The teammates immediately decided to head to the airport in Phuket, Thailand. They felt that from this small airport they'd find connecting flights to China. So the lawyers jumped in a boat to take them to Ao Nang, on the way to Phuket. Twelve minutes later, Frank & Margarita took off. "It's the final stretch. This is it. This is it," said Frank as they hopped in a boat. Already at Ao Nang, Rob & Brennan were having trouble finding a taxi. "This sucks because the teams that are behind us are going to gain significant ground on us," moaned Rob. A taxi finally appeared and they jumped in. A few minutes later, Frank & Margarita arrived and quickly found a taxi. Rob & Brennan made it to Phuket in the lead. They rushed through the airport corridors only to discover that they missed a flight by a few precious minutes. Rob told his partner, "I can't believe we missed that flight. That's gonna haunt me, dude." A few minutes later, Frank & Margarita showed up. Both Teams worked hard to find the best flight, and eventually booked themselves onto the same flight to Bangkok. From there, the Teams would determine how to continue on to Beijing. In Bangkok, Rob & Brennan went to every airline counter searching for the best way out of the country. Eventually, they booked a flight on Air China. As they waited for the plane, Brennan mentioned he hadn't seen their competitors and was worried that they had found a quicker way to Beijing. Instead, Frank & Margarita had already booked seats on the same flight and had gone to a mall to purchase smaller backpacks in order to travel lighter. The separated couple returned to the airport, and both Teams prepared to board their 1:30 a.m. flight to Beijing. Trailing Teams Begin Leg While the lead Teams waited for their flight, third place Kevin & Drew left Pai Plong beach at 11:35 p.m. Drew summed up the pressure of this leg: "Earlier in the race, if you came in fourth, hey, you were in pretty good shape. Now fourth place is last place. You come in fourth, you're done." The fraternity brothers worked the phones to determine the best flights out of Thailand. Then, they hopped on a bus to Phuket airport. At 1:30 a.m., Joe & Bill departed. "Eventually, it's going to come down to the final three teams… we need to be one of those three teams," said Joe. Team Guido got in a taxi to the Phuket airport. Once there, they ran into Kevin & Drew. Both Teams worked separately to obtain the best flights. They both ended up getting on the same plane to begin their nine-hour journey to Beijing, China. Arrivals in China Meanwhile, the two top Teams had arrived in Beijing. Frank & Margarita made their way out of the airport quicker than Rob & Brennan. They jumped into a taxi and headed to Top Pavilion at Jingshan Park, located high on a hill in the middle of the city. The separated couple climbed the long set of steps to the top, found the route marker flag, and opened the Detour envelope. A Detour gives the contestants two distinct tasks that eventually lead to the same destination. In this case, the options were "volley" or "rally." Volley entailed scoring five points in a game of ping-pong against a local champion; rally involved taking three forms of local transportation through the congested streets of Beijing. Frank & Margarita decided to embark on the ping-pong challenge. Right behind them, the lawyers raced to the pavilion. They immediately decided on the ping-pong challenge. "We're good at ping-pong," Rob explained. Less sure, Brennan mused, "he's probably gonna kick our butt." During the taxi ride to the community center, Frank reread the clue and began second-guessing their decision; "Ping-pong is no joke. The Chinese are really good at ping-pong. We might be there a long time, Margie." The couple arrived at the ping-pong location, and Frank chose to play. Then he discovered that the champion was actually a small boy. He was able to score his points off the champ and the Team received their next clue. Second were Rob & Brennan. Because of Rob's injured finger, Brennan volunteered to give it a shot. Brennan, however, was beaten soundly by the young champ. Rob decided to take his turn and, finally, they won 5 points off the Chinese youngster. By the time the lawyers finished, Frank & Margarita had increased their lead. The next task involved picking up several items at one of Beijing's largest food markets. Teams received a shopping list written entirely in Chinese. What they didn't know was that these instructions were to purchase 5 beetle larvae, 1 whole squid, and 2 chicken feet. Inside the market, they had to decipher the list and purchase the various local delicacies. Once they completed the shopping, the Teams were told to take their goods to another market, where they'd receive further instructions. Frank & Margarita rushed through the crowded market. They quickly made their way around the various stalls purchasing the correct items. Back outside, Frank congratulated her, "Margarita, with the shopping skills!" They headed to the second market while Rob & Brennan arrived. The lawyers got shopping help from a local and were also successful in obtaining their goods. Frank & Margarita were first to the second market, a Roadblock location. A Roadblock is a task that must be performed by only one member of the Team. Frank & Margarita surmised that this Roadblock would have something to do with eating and debated who should perform the task. Margarita, thinking of Frank's upset stomach, proclaimed, "I'll do it." She opened up the envelope and discovered that she would, in fact, be required to eat all the food. Margarita was now less confident. Frank shouted at her, "Stupid. You wanna act foolish." Margarita had to agree, "Damn, that was not a good call." Inside the market, while the chef cooked their food, Frank & Margarita got into an argument. Margarita explained that she volunteered to help Frank because his stomach was hurting and that she didn't appreciate his attitude. After contemplating his role in the argument, Frank decided he needed to apologize, and the couple made up. Meanwhile, Rob & Brennan had just arrived. "Who's hungry?" Brennan asked as he held the Roadblock envelope. "This is your thing," Rob replied. Brennan agreed, and they went inside and handed their food to the chef. While their food was cooking, Margarita received her plate and started to eat. She struggled to get the food down. Brennan then got his plate and the competitors began an eating contest. "You would have thrown up," Margarita noted to Frank, her mouth full of food. Ultimately, she was able to finish first. The separated couple received a race envelope from the chef and rushed outside. A little behind them, Brennan finished. Rob grabbed the envelope and the lawyers dashed off to get a taxi. The next clue sent the competitors to the Pit Stop, located at the south gate of Tiantan Park. Both Teams headed into their taxis and rushed to the park. Frank & Margarita exultantly arrived at the Pit Stop first. Rob & Brennan clocked in right on their heels. Both Teams' thoughts were on the two trailing Teams, who were now on their way to China. Rob noted that "tomorrow, one of them is history." The Brawl for it All Joe & Bill caught up with Kevin & Drew at the airport in Thailand; both arrived in Beijing on the same plane. The fraternity brothers exited the airport first. They hopped in a taxi for Jingshan Park. During the ride, Drew explained, "If we don't make it before them, we go home. And I'm not ready to go home." Kevin & Drew arrived at the park and raced up the stairs with Team Guido trailing right behind. The fraternity brothers opened up the Detour envelope. Debating their options, they worried that they'd be unable to score in ping-pong. Kevin guessed, "I'll never score 5 points against a local. They'll squash us." They decided to try the local travel option instead. This Detour option involved taking three successive forms of local travel: a bus, then a motorcycle with a sidecar, and finally a pedicab (essentially a rickshaw). The teammates ran back down the stairs to ask their taxi driver where to find the bus. Joe & Bill reached Top Pavilion and ripped open the Detour option. Joe asked his partner, "You know how to play ping-pong? I'm terrible at it." Bill felt he couldn't play either, so they too decided on the travel route. Both Teams boarded one of the correct buses and headed to the motorcycle location. Kevin & Drew made it first. Drew got on behind the driver and Kevin jumped in the sidecar. "You look like such an idiot!" Drew laughed at his friend. Team Guido hopped on the motorcycle just after their competition. Both Teams raced through the Beijing evening. Joe noted, "This is a make-it-or-break-it day for us." The fraternity brothers arrived at the pedicabs just prior to Joe & Bill, but Team Guido got the jump on Kevin & Drew and rode off in the pedicab first. Both Teams shouted out encouragement for their drivers to peddle faster. Kevin & Drew's driver struggled to pedal uphill, given the weight of his passengers; Team Guido was ahead. On a downhill slope, however, Kevin & Drew's pedicab driver caught a break, as the pedicab easily rolled down the hill, passing Team Guido. "That's it. That's it, my friend," Drew said as he patted the driver on the shoulder. Their excitement turned out to be short-lived. On the next uphill grade, Guido passed them once again. Joe & Bill made it to the restaurant first and grabbed the clue guiding them to the shopping market. The hours of operation for the market had ended for the day, and it would open again the following morning. "We'll all go shopping together," Drew warned. Final Push for the Final Three The next morning, both Teams were waiting outside for the market to open. The competitors had also found interpreters to help them shop. At 6:30 a.m., the market opened and both Teams rushed inside. They raced through the chaotic market, hurriedly trying to purchase their food items before one another. Joe & Bill finished first and hopped into a taxi, followed immediately by Kevin & Drew. They headed over to the second market. Once there, Joe decided to perform the Roadblock for Team Guido, and Drew volunteered for the fraternity brothers. They arrived at the restaurant at the same time and handed over their food to the chefs. As the food cooked, Bill stared at the larger fraternity brothers. "You know he's just going to guzzle," Bill commented about Drew. As Team Guido tried to psych themselves up for the competition, Kevin & Drew joked around in their own unique way. Joe loosened his belt just as the chefs delivered the meals. The competing Teams sat next to each other and started the eating race of their lives. Both teammates encouraged their partners as they guzzled the local delicacies. They stuffed their mouths full and struggled to down the food. Drew finished first, and the Team got their clue. This clue informed them to clock in at the Pit Stop at the south gate of Tiantan Park. Kevin & Drew sprinted out of the restaurant a few moments before Joe finished. Kevin & Drew waved at their driver to hurry back to his taxi. They got in and willed him on, but a moment's delay gave Team Guido the opportunity to take off first, which they successfully did. Looking at Guido's taxi inches ahead of them in traffic, Kevin moaned, "How does this happen to us? Every time." Drew agreed, "We're done, man. We're done." But Team Guido's driver didn't understand their frantic instructions. The driver patted his head in frustration. Joe & Bill flipped through their guidebooks searching for the proper phrasing. Kevin & Drew's cab, meanwhile, kept on moving. With the park in sight, Kevin & Drew, caught in traffic, got out of the taxi and raced on foot, while Joe & Bill found the Chinese word for "park" as well as the terms for "south" and "gate." With this information in hand, the Guidos gave their driver specific information where to take them and headed straight there. Kevin quickly realized they were at the east gate and would have to race through the park to the south gate. They sprinted off, hoping to beat Team Guido. But Joe & Bill arrived at the south gate first and exited their taxi, running to the check-in point next to the south gate archway. They jumped on the mat to find they had arrived in third place. The teammates hugged, ecstatic that they would survive to the final round. A tearful and joyous Joe shouted breathlessly, "Never give up. Fight 'till the end. Fight 'till you die!" Kevin & Drew arrived just after them. Host Phil Keoghan informed them they were the last Team to arrive and were therefore eliminated. Drew tearfully explained, "We have nothing to be sorry or ashamed of, or nothing to regret, because we gave it our all." Kevin summed up their thoughts: "I was reading the thing in the book about the teaching of Buddha, and it said, 'When you speak, just speak. When you feel, just feel. When you see, just see. When you hear, just hear.' And the last one is, 'When you know, just know'. And we can walk away here knowing that we did our best, and it just didn't work out." At Tiantan Park in Beijing, China, in a fight to the last minute with Team Guido, fraternity brothers Kevin & Drew became the eighth Team eliminated from THE AMAZING RACE. Three teams remain: Frank & Margarita, Rob & Brennan, and Team Guido. Two legs are left. The next leg is all about positioning for the final leg to the finish line; one bad decision could make all the difference. The teams will not be able to take a second for granted. Who will be in the best position for that final leg? And who will win THE AMAZING RACE?http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/show/week11/story01.shtml
Leaving Baggage Behind The eleventh leg of the race began at Pai Plong beach in southern Thailand. Four Teams remained at the beginning of this last leg to end with an elimination. Rob & Brennan and Frank & Margarita had built a solid lead on Kevin & Drew and Joe & Bill, who were another two hours behind Kevin & Drew. These trailing Teams would have to hustle to make up time on the leaders. At 6:03 a.m., Rob & Brennan departed Pai Plong. They opened up the race envelope to discover that their next destination was Top Pavilion at Jingshan Park in Beijing, China, located 2500 miles away. The teammates immediately decided to head to the airport in Phuket, Thailand. They felt that from this small airport they'd find connecting flights to China. So the lawyers jumped in a boat to take them to Ao Nang, on the way to Phuket. Twelve minutes later, Frank & Margarita took off. "It's the final stretch. This is it. This is it," said Frank as they hopped in a boat. Already at Ao Nang, Rob & Brennan were having trouble finding a taxi. "This sucks because the teams that are behind us are going to gain significant ground on us," moaned Rob. A taxi finally appeared and they jumped in. A few minutes later, Frank & Margarita arrived and quickly found a taxi. Rob & Brennan made it to Phuket in the lead. They rushed through the airport corridors only to discover that they missed a flight by a few precious minutes. Rob told his partner, "I can't believe we missed that flight. That's gonna haunt me, dude." A few minutes later, Frank & Margarita showed up. Both Teams worked hard to find the best flight, and eventually booked themselves onto the same flight to Bangkok. From there, the Teams would determine how to continue on to Beijing. In Bangkok, Rob & Brennan went to every airline counter searching for the best way out of the country. Eventually, they booked a flight on Air China. As they waited for the plane, Brennan mentioned he hadn't seen their competitors and was worried that they had found a quicker way to Beijing. Instead, Frank & Margarita had already booked seats on the same flight and had gone to a mall to purchase smaller backpacks in order to travel lighter. The separated couple returned to the airport, and both Teams prepared to board their 1:30 a.m. flight to Beijing. Trailing Teams Begin Leg While the lead Teams waited for their flight, third place Kevin & Drew left Pai Plong beach at 11:35 p.m. Drew summed up the pressure of this leg: "Earlier in the race, if you came in fourth, hey, you were in pretty good shape. Now fourth place is last place. You come in fourth, you're done." The fraternity brothers worked the phones to determine the best flights out of Thailand. Then, they hopped on a bus to Phuket airport. At 1:30 a.m., Joe & Bill departed. "Eventually, it's going to come down to the final three teams… we need to be one of those three teams," said Joe. Team Guido got in a taxi to the Phuket airport. Once there, they ran into Kevin & Drew. Both Teams worked separately to obtain the best flights. They both ended up getting on the same plane to begin their nine-hour journey to Beijing, China. Arrivals in China Meanwhile, the two top Teams had arrived in Beijing. Frank & Margarita made their way out of the airport quicker than Rob & Brennan. They jumped into a taxi and headed to Top Pavilion at Jingshan Park, located high on a hill in the middle of the city. The separated couple climbed the long set of steps to the top, found the route marker flag, and opened the Detour envelope. A Detour gives the contestants two distinct tasks that eventually lead to the same destination. In this case, the options were "volley" or "rally." Volley entailed scoring five points in a game of ping-pong against a local champion; rally involved taking three forms of local transportation through the congested streets of Beijing. Frank & Margarita decided to embark on the ping-pong challenge. Right behind them, the lawyers raced to the pavilion. They immediately decided on the ping-pong challenge. "We're good at ping-pong," Rob explained. Less sure, Brennan mused, "he's probably gonna kick our butt." During the taxi ride to the community center, Frank reread the clue and began second-guessing their decision; "Ping-pong is no joke. The Chinese are really good at ping-pong. We might be there a long time, Margie." The couple arrived at the ping-pong location, and Frank chose to play. Then he discovered that the champion was actually a small boy. He was able to score his points off the champ and the Team received their next clue. Second were Rob & Brennan. Because of Rob's injured finger, Brennan volunteered to give it a shot. Brennan, however, was beaten soundly by the young champ. Rob decided to take his turn and, finally, they won 5 points off the Chinese youngster. By the time the lawyers finished, Frank & Margarita had increased their lead. The next task involved picking up several items at one of Beijing's largest food markets. Teams received a shopping list written entirely in Chinese. What they didn't know was that these instructions were to purchase 5 beetle larvae, 1 whole squid, and 2 chicken feet. Inside the market, they had to decipher the list and purchase the various local delicacies. Once they completed the shopping, the Teams were told to take their goods to another market, where they'd receive further instructions. Frank & Margarita rushed through the crowded market. They quickly made their way around the various stalls purchasing the correct items. Back outside, Frank congratulated her, "Margarita, with the shopping skills!" They headed to the second market while Rob & Brennan arrived. The lawyers got shopping help from a local and were also successful in obtaining their goods. Frank & Margarita were first to the second market, a Roadblock location. A Roadblock is a task that must be performed by only one member of the Team. Frank & Margarita surmised that this Roadblock would have something to do with eating and debated who should perform the task. Margarita, thinking of Frank's upset stomach, proclaimed, "I'll do it." She opened up the envelope and discovered that she would, in fact, be required to eat all the food. Margarita was now less confident. Frank shouted at her, "Stupid. You wanna act foolish." Margarita had to agree, "Damn, that was not a good call." Inside the market, while the chef cooked their food, Frank & Margarita got into an argument. Margarita explained that she volunteered to help Frank because his stomach was hurting and that she didn't appreciate his attitude. After contemplating his role in the argument, Frank decided he needed to apologize, and the couple made up. Meanwhile, Rob & Brennan had just arrived. "Who's hungry?" Brennan asked as he held the Roadblock envelope. "This is your thing," Rob replied. Brennan agreed, and they went inside and handed their food to the chef. While their food was cooking, Margarita received her plate and started to eat. She struggled to get the food down. Brennan then got his plate and the competitors began an eating contest. "You would have thrown up," Margarita noted to Frank, her mouth full of food. Ultimately, she was able to finish first. The separated couple received a race envelope from the chef and rushed outside. A little behind them, Brennan finished. Rob grabbed the envelope and the lawyers dashed off to get a taxi. The next clue sent the competitors to the Pit Stop, located at the south gate of Tiantan Park. Both Teams headed into their taxis and rushed to the park. Frank & Margarita exultantly arrived at the Pit Stop first. Rob & Brennan clocked in right on their heels. Both Teams' thoughts were on the two trailing Teams, who were now on their way to China. Rob noted that "tomorrow, one of them is history." The Brawl for it All Joe & Bill caught up with Kevin & Drew at the airport in Thailand; both arrived in Beijing on the same plane. The fraternity brothers exited the airport first. They hopped in a taxi for Jingshan Park. During the ride, Drew explained, "If we don't make it before them, we go home. And I'm not ready to go home." Kevin & Drew arrived at the park and raced up the stairs with Team Guido trailing right behind. The fraternity brothers opened up the Detour envelope. Debating their options, they worried that they'd be unable to score in ping-pong. Kevin guessed, "I'll never score 5 points against a local. They'll squash us." They decided to try the local travel option instead. This Detour option involved taking three successive forms of local travel: a bus, then a motorcycle with a sidecar, and finally a pedicab (essentially a rickshaw). The teammates ran back down the stairs to ask their taxi driver where to find the bus. Joe & Bill reached Top Pavilion and ripped open the Detour option. Joe asked his partner, "You know how to play ping-pong? I'm terrible at it." Bill felt he couldn't play either, so they too decided on the travel route. Both Teams boarded one of the correct buses and headed to the motorcycle location. Kevin & Drew made it first. Drew got on behind the driver and Kevin jumped in the sidecar. "You look like such an idiot!" Drew laughed at his friend. Team Guido hopped on the motorcycle just after their competition. Both Teams raced through the Beijing evening. Joe noted, "This is a make-it-or-break-it day for us." The fraternity brothers arrived at the pedicabs just prior to Joe & Bill, but Team Guido got the jump on Kevin & Drew and rode off in the pedicab first. Both Teams shouted out encouragement for their drivers to peddle faster. Kevin & Drew's driver struggled to pedal uphill, given the weight of his passengers; Team Guido was ahead. On a downhill slope, however, Kevin & Drew's pedicab driver caught a break, as the pedicab easily rolled down the hill, passing Team Guido. "That's it. That's it, my friend," Drew said as he patted the driver on the shoulder. Their excitement turned out to be short-lived. On the next uphill grade, Guido passed them once again. Joe & Bill made it to the restaurant first and grabbed the clue guiding them to the shopping market. The hours of operation for the market had ended for the day, and it would open again the following morning. "We'll all go shopping together," Drew warned. Final Push for the Final Three The next morning, both Teams were waiting outside for the market to open. The competitors had also found interpreters to help them shop. At 6:30 a.m., the market opened and both Teams rushed inside. They raced through the chaotic market, hurriedly trying to purchase their food items before one another. Joe & Bill finished first and hopped into a taxi, followed immediately by Kevin & Drew. They headed over to the second market. Once there, Joe decided to perform the Roadblock for Team Guido, and Drew volunteered for the fraternity brothers. They arrived at the restaurant at the same time and handed over their food to the chefs. As the food cooked, Bill stared at the larger fraternity brothers. "You know he's just going to guzzle," Bill commented about Drew. As Team Guido tried to psych themselves up for the competition, Kevin & Drew joked around in their own unique way. Joe loosened his belt just as the chefs delivered the meals. The competing Teams sat next to each other and started the eating race of their lives. Both teammates encouraged their partners as they guzzled the local delicacies. They stuffed their mouths full and struggled to down the food. Drew finished first, and the Team got their clue. This clue informed them to clock in at the Pit Stop at the south gate of Tiantan Park. Kevin & Drew sprinted out of the restaurant a few moments before Joe finished. Kevin & Drew waved at their driver to hurry back to his taxi. They got in and willed him on, but a moment's delay gave Team Guido the opportunity to take off first, which they successfully did. Looking at Guido's taxi inches ahead of them in traffic, Kevin moaned, "How does this happen to us? Every time." Drew agreed, "We're done, man. We're done." But Team Guido's driver didn't understand their frantic instructions. The driver patted his head in frustration. Joe & Bill flipped through their guidebooks searching for the proper phrasing. Kevin & Drew's cab, meanwhile, kept on moving. With the park in sight, Kevin & Drew, caught in traffic, got out of the taxi and raced on foot, while Joe & Bill found the Chinese word for "park" as well as the terms for "south" and "gate." With this information in hand, the Guidos gave their driver specific information where to take them and headed straight there. Kevin quickly realized they were at the east gate and would have to race through the park to the south gate. They sprinted off, hoping to beat Team Guido. But Joe & Bill arrived at the south gate first and exited their taxi, running to the check-in point next to the south gate archway. They jumped on the mat to find they had arrived in third place. The teammates hugged, ecstatic that they would survive to the final round. A tearful and joyous Joe shouted breathlessly, "Never give up. Fight 'till the end. Fight 'till you die!" Kevin & Drew arrived just after them. Host Phil Keoghan informed them they were the last Team to arrive and were therefore eliminated. Drew tearfully explained, "We have nothing to be sorry or ashamed of, or nothing to regret, because we gave it our all." Kevin summed up their thoughts: "I was reading the thing in the book about the teaching of Buddha, and it said, 'When you speak, just speak. When you feel, just feel. When you see, just see. When you hear, just hear.' And the last one is, 'When you know, just know'. And we can walk away here knowing that we did our best, and it just didn't work out." At Tiantan Park in Beijing, China, in a fight to the last minute with Team Guido, fraternity brothers Kevin & Drew became the eighth Team eliminated from THE AMAZING RACE. Three teams remain: Frank & Margarita, Rob & Brennan, and Team Guido. Two legs are left. The next leg is all about positioning for the final leg to the finish line; one bad decision could make all the difference. The teams will not be able to take a second for granted. Who will be in the best position for that final leg? And who will win THE AMAZING RACE?