RNO article, Episode 2 - With Friends Like These
The Amazing Race: All-Stars, Episode 2 - With Friends Like These… by Jenn Brasler -- 02/26/2006 We know most people dislike Rob & Amber, but they aren’t the only team causing problems with their competitors. Why are people getting frustrated with Charla & Mirna, and who are they getting annoyed with? And will it hurt their standings in the race? First off, thanks to everyone for the nickname suggestions! I haven’t adopted any yet, but keep brainstorming! I have, however, decided to call Charla & Mirna what I keep typing as shorthand, Charm. It’s meant only in the ironic sense, as we will see shortly. Previously on Peru, Ecuador, Same Thing: 11 all-star teams headed from Miami to Quito, Ecuador. At the airport, David & Mary lied to Kandice & Dustin, but it backfired. Rob & Amber got the other teams talking and Drew fell down, go boom. Romber came in first but Jill & JV were eliminated. Ten teams are left: Rob & Amber (Team Romber) - Married/Oh, you know who they are Oswald & Danny (Team Cha3) - Friends/My new best friends Teri & Ian - Married/Much calmer this time around Eric & Danielle - Dating/He’s going to drag her all over the place, I bet Joe & Bill (Team Guido) - Partners/Much more amusing than on their first season Dustin & Kandice - Friends/People still don’t like them Uchenna & Joyce - Married/Haven’t done much yet Charla & Mirna (Team Charm) - Cousins/Mirna’s still annoying David & Mary - Married/Um, what are they doing here? Kevin & Drew - Friends/Off to a slow start At the Pit Stop, Drew suffered from altitude sickness and had to be given oxygen. Eek. In the meantime, Romber are leaving first at 7:42 a.m. They’re flying to Santiago, Chile, where they have to find the Codelco Building. Rob interviews that the other teams have no idea what they’re in for. He doesn’t necessarily want them to be afraid of him and Amber, just preoccupied and distracted. Cha3 leave. Oswald interviews that they’ve already proven they’re here to compete. He wants to keep their focus and win. In the car, he and Danny joke about pulling over and waiting for other teams. Teri & Ian leave next as Ian interviews that if they follow their model of “stop, look, and listen,” they’ll be fine. Eric & Danielle leave and he teases that if she falls down the hill, he’ll call her Humpty Dumb-a%$. He hopes they don’t have any relationship problems on the race. Guido leave. “Who says gay men can’t drive?” one of them says in the car. Um… I don’t know, who? Kandice & Dustin leave, followed shortly after by Uchenna & Joyce. Kandice interviews that they weren’t thrilled to come in sixth on the first leg. Joyce interviews that she and Uchenna learned a lot of life lessons on their first race. Uchenna adds that he can’t have Mrs. Right without being Mr. Right. These people are having marriage problems? With statements like that, he should be a marriage counselor! Charm leave, follows by Mary & David. Mirna says they’ll let David navigate. Mary interviews that she thought they wouldn’t like Charm, but she’s loved them since she met them. On the way out on a road full of ditches, Charm get stuck and Mary & David tow them out. Mirna says they’re sweet and down to earth, as well as the most trustworthy team in the race. She says they’re in a little bit of an alliance. Danger, Mirna! Danger! Kevin & Drew leave. Kevin says Drew is trying his hardest while dealing with not feeling well. They bicker in the car. Kevin continues that it’s a little frustrating, but his only other choice is not to do this. They get stuck, too, but since there’s no other team around to tow them out, it’s up to Kevin. This is a recipe for disaster. It works, though Drew then takes off without Kevin, who gets pulled along. “Oh, sorry,” says Drew. Romber head to a travel agent and are told about a flight that will get them to Santiago at 1:50 a.m. Elsewhere, Oswald & Danny are told about the same flight. Rob tells his and Amber’s agent not to tell anyone else about the flight. Eric & Danielle get tickets at the airport for a flight that lands at 2:30 a.m. They’re told this is the earliest flight. Teri & Ian get that flight, too. Romber take off on their first flight as Guido get tickets for the 2:30 flight. Dustin & Kandice and Uchenna & Joyce get tickets for that one, too. Oswald & Danny board their flight as Drew & Kevin meet up with Charm and David & Mary. All get on the 2:30 flight. Mirna wants to make sure “one amigo,” Rob, is on their flight. Romber, however, are already on their way to Lima, their connection to Santiago. Rob thinks they’ll be the first team there and other teams must be wondering where they are. He’s right. But then Romber’s luck runs out as they meet up with Oswald & Danny and the teams find out their flight is delayed. The other eight teams board their plane. David tells us that after doing the last race, he and Mary learned to put their packs in the overhead compartments at the front of the plane, specifically in first class. I’m surprised they’re allowed to do that. Drew catches them and takes their bags out of the bins. Joyce, Joe, and I find this amusing, but David is displeased and says that Drew is playing dirty. He literally says, “He started it,” so it’s on. You have to be kidding me. Aren’t these people adults? “He started it”? That doesn’t even work in kindergarten! As my father used to say to me and my brothers when we used that excuse as kids, “I don’t care who started it, I’m going to finish it.” Dear all racers: you are grownups, and yet Billy and Carissa Gaghan have more class and maturity than some of you. Get over it, run your own race, and stop acting like children. Love, the world. Romber and Cha3 get on their flight to Lima, which arrives just after the other teams’ flight, it looks like. In Lima, they’re delayed again, so the other eight teams have just gotten a jump on them. Eric & Danielle are first off the plane in Santiago, followed by Uchenna & Joyce. Those teams are also the first to the Codelco Building and the first Roadblock of the race. One person from each team must search a boardroom for letters of the alphabet on display. When the letters are unscrambled, they’ll have a destination that they can match to a photo on the wall. When they give the correct destination team to a security guard outside the room, they’ll get their next clue. Joyce and Eric do the task. The boardroom is full of men pretending to discuss business in Spanish. Joyce and Eric start writing down letters as Kandice & Dustin arrive and Dustin takes the task. Guido are next and Bill takes the Roadblock, joking that he’ll do well at this because he puts his initials on his own clothes. Drew & Kevin show up and Kevin takes the task. Eric emerges from the boardroom first but doesn’t have the right word. Joyce has spelled out “planetarium,” but that’s not right. Dustin spots the photos and figures out that the destination she needs is Chuquicamata, a copper mine. She’s correct. Said mine is 230 miles away, so that requires another flight. Dustin hopes no one saw her reading off of the picture. Eric sees the same photo but he doesn’t realize he needs an H, so he dismisses it. Oops! As Romber and Cha3 land, Bill figures out there are extra letters and gets the right answer. Joyce is still wrong as Teri & Ian finally show up. Guido head off as Ian takes the task. Teri says he has a better eye for detail because was a cop. Charm arrive with David & Mary and Mary and Charla take the Roadblock for their teams. That might be bad for Charla because the photo is above her line of sight. Mary first writes down all the names on the wall. Smart woman, there. Romber show up and Amber takes the task. Cha 3 are there last and Oswald takes the task. Eric can’t believe everyone’s there and his lead is gone. Mary shows Charla her words from the wall, and after noticing the Q’s in the room, they find a photo with “Chuquicamata” on it. On a hunch, Mary tries giving it to the security guard, and she’s right. That was also very smart - the worst thing that could have happened was she would have to go in, and she wouldn’t have lost much time. Kevin appears to peek over her shoulder, but he doesn’t actually get the answer, so it doesn’t matter. Charla gets it, though, so she and Mirna head off with David & Mary. Kevin gets his clue and he and Drew take off. Uchenna and Danielle can’t believe they’re still working. While Ian and Joyce confer, Oswald and Amber talk to Eric, then figure out the right answer. Amber and Oswald leave Eric, Ian, and Joyce in the boardroom, but Eric soon heads out after them, telling Ian and Joyce he doesn’t know the answer. He does, though, so he’s finished. Kandice & Dustin arrive at the airport, followed by Guido, Mary & David, and Charm. Joyce finally gets the right word and tells Ian what it is. In the cab on the way to the airport, Uchenna makes hilarious faces as Joyce says she’s usually good at attention to detail. At the airport, we get a ticket-getting montage. A ticket agent opens a new line and Eric heads over to it, even though he’s not the first person in line. Rob calls him on it, probably just mad he didn’t get there first. Rob interviews that it’s nothing personal; he’s just trying to stir the pot. If that’s how they’re playing, then fine. He is, however, a little peeved when Amber defends Eric. I think Amber is as sick of Rob’s crap as most people are. Amber says Rob was wrong and this just made him look silly. Rob says Amber is supposed to have his back. There’s always a method to his madness. All the teams head to Calama, Chile. Outside the airport, there are a few taxis waiting and Kevin & Drew, Guido, and Dustin & Kandice get to them first. Kandice & Dustin pass the other teams and make faces at Drew & Kevin. Mature. Charm and Romber also pass Guido. Dustin & Kandice and Drew & Kevin are the first to the mine, followed by Romber, Charm, Guido, and Eric & Danielle. All of them suit up in hardhats and safety vests. Romber are first to the clue box, where they get a Detour. The choices are By Hand or By Machine. In Hand, teams choose a huge tire and put washers and bolts on to secure it to a truck. In Machine, teams drive frontloaders to transfer gravel and cover a line on a stick. Keep in mind that both team members have to drive at least once. Romber take Machine because, as Rob reminds us, he’s spent years working in construction and is used to driving these sorts of machines. The teams quickly start picking tasks. Rob enjoys watching Amber drive the backhoe. Cha3 and Dustin & Kandice do Hand. Apparently Kandice & Dustin’s Miss America talents had nothing to do with auto maintenance. David & Mary do Hand, too, and also have some trouble. Charla is a little too short to reach the bolts on her and Mirna’s wheel, so she goes off to grab a stepstool as she and Mirna yell at each other. Um, Mirna, if she can’t do the task, you’ll have to either wait or switch. Kandice interviews that their style is a little abrasive. Montage of Detour tasks. Romber are the first to finish and are sent on a drive to the Valley of the Moon. The road is windy, and they can’t drive more than 40 kilometers an hour until they leave it. Eventually, they’ll get to the Valley of the Dead, this leg’s Pit Stop. The Pit Stop already? It’s only 8:35! Oh, and the last team to arrive may be eliminated. Guido do Machine. David pulls so hard on a bolt that he falls over. Another montage. Eric & Danielle, Uchenna & Joyce, and Cha3 all finish up around the same time, but it’s Cha3 who are first given the okay to leave. In the car, Danny says, “My manicurist would be so angry with me if she saw what I was doing today.” Guido realize that both of them have to drive; apparently Joe said that earlier but Bill didn’t listen. Drew pauses to take some meds. David & Mary have to undo a bunch of bolts because they’re not up to snuff. Guido finish for real this time, followed by Teri & Ian. Drew & Kevin are done but Drew doesn’t feel like running. Teri & Ian seem to have misplaced their car. Charm are done, so only David & Mary and Kandice & Dustin remain at the Detour. Kandice & Dustin are done first and happy not to be the last team. Ian & Teri finally find their car, but the delay has allowed Kandice & Dustin to get a little ahead of them. Ian notes that they didn’t do well with “stop, look, and listen” today. Mary despairs over the fact that she and David are the only people left at the Detour. Romber and Cha3 are at the front of the pack once again. “I think I was a man in a previous life,” Danny says as he and Oswald congratulate themselves over their quick work at the Detour and giggle over the work “nuts.” Seriously, people, give them their own show. Mary & David finish up and head off on the trail of everyone else. Charm are following a taxi and aren’t happy to have Dustin & Kandice right behind them, taking advantage of what they paid for. The taxi driver stops, and as Mirna asks him why, Dustin & Kandice approach and ask to follow them. Mirna wants them to split the fee, which is fair, or they’ll just hang out there and Dustin & Kandice won’t be able to follow them. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. How will that get Charm to the Pit Stop any faster? Charla impatiently and a little harshly asks Dustin & Kandice what they want to do. Dustin tells her to chill, first of all. They find out the cost of following the taxi driver is $100, and Charm helpfully interpret for Dustin & Kandice. Dustin suggests that the driver draw them a map, but Charm don’t like this idea. Kandice & Dustin decide this isn’t worth it and head back to their car to navigate on their own. Kandice notes that Mirna is a little scary. She ain’t seen nothin’ yet. To add insult to injury, Teri & Ian happily pass Charm, who are still talking to the taxi driver on the side of the road. Mirna gives the taxi driver her fanny pack (which all teams have to hold their money, passports, etc.) and says he can have all their money. “What do you want from me?” she exclaims. She’s crying and speaking bad Spanish. Geez, chill, drama queen. Oh, and then David & Mary pass them. Ha! Back in the car, Charm wonder what the heck is wrong with Kandice & Dustin. “What planet do you come from?” Mirna says. Is she talking to herself? Charla interviews (with hilariously ironic music in the background - thanks, editors!) that it’s easy to make yourself beautiful with plastic surgery, but harder to have morals and be pure of heart. Uh, this is a race, not the competition for the Nobel Peace Prize. Romber and Cha3 enter the Valley of the Moon. Danny loves the view and Oswald says it makes him happy to be alive. He’s so moved he’s crying and teasing himself a little about it. Eric and Uchenna get directions as they enter the 40-kilometer-an-hour area. Romber is on the way to the Valley of the Dead now, which means they can speed up to 50 kilometers per hour. Just like last week, the first two teams to approach the Pit Stop are Romber and Cha3, and just like last week, Romber hit the mat first. They win motorcycles and do a cute little dance. Teri & Ian meet up with Kandice & Dustin on a narrow road. Mary & David and Charm approach as well and are all stuck in a line. Meanwhile, Cha3 are second to the mat. Excellent recovery for them and Romber. Kevin & Drew are told about the speed limit in the Valley of the Moon. Kandice & Dustin decide to skip the lesson and pass them. Teri & Ian are also told about the speed limit. There’s a lot of repetition about the speed limit. Do you think that’ll be important? Uchenna & Joyce and Eric & Danielle are ahead of those teams, in third and fourth place, respectively, but Uchenna & Joyce aren’t sure which way to go and the two teams head off in different directions. Guido go after Eric & Danielle and Uchenna & Joyce realize they should go back. Eric & Danielle get stuck, so Guido get a little ahead and beat them to the mat to come in third. Bill wants a hug from Phil since the girls always get one. Eric & Danielle are right behind them in fourth place, and Uchenna & Joyce, who quickly got themselves on the right road, get to the mat in fifth. Dustin & Kandice drive towards the Valley of the Death. At this point, I thought they would get busted for driving too fast, since they didn’t listen to the lesson about driving 40 kilometers per hour, but a different team is affected. Kevin & Drew think that no one can pass them because they all have to drive 40 kilometers per hour, but Teri & Ian, who are right behind them, pass because the speed limit is now up to 50 kilometers per hour. Read your clues, Kevin & Drew! Drew & Kevin wind up behind everyone else, thinking the others are driving over the speed limit. Charm pass David & Mary, who realizes, “Wait! We don’t have to play nice!” There’s various car racing and posturing among Mary & David, Charm, and Teri & Ian. But then all of the teams take the wrong turn and Drew & Kevin follow them. Kandice & Dustin ask a park ranger for directions and see the other teams heading past them. They decide to double-check the directions before leaving, just to make sure. Teri & Ian notice and decide to turn around. Kevin & Drew approach, making Dustin & Kandice nervous. Dustin & Kandice have been given the right directions and get to the mat in sixth place again. This time, they’re okay with it. Teri & Ian are seventh and admit that it was a rough leg. The final three teams are all lost. Charm find a taxi to follow while Drew almost hits them while asking Kevin for water. Mirna starts yelling that Drew drives like a girl and doesn’t know where he’s going. She’s so pleasant, isn’t she? The three teams head to the Valley of the Dead, and it’s Charm and Mary & David who arrive in eighth and ninth places, respectively. Mary says she’s dissatisfied. She interviews that all she does is help people, and Charm were her friends, but now she won’t help anyone anymore. But will she still lie to people about flights? Hey, Mary, see what I said above about this being a race. Shut down the pity party and get your butt in gear, because there’s no Six Pack around to drag you along this time around. Kevin & Drew struggle up to the mat, and they’re eliminated. Drew won’t even stay on the mat to hear the news. Phil looks confused. Kevin says Drew isn’t happy and has had all the pressure on him because he’s been driving. Drew says he didn’t quit and he tried his hardest, which is all he can ask. He says Kevin held them together. Kevin says they’re a team, and if their positions had been reversed, Drew would have done the same for him. This was a great opportunity and Kevin wouldn’t have passed it up for the world, but it’s bittersweet. It certainly is, but I can’t say I’m upset we don’t have to see them struggle through any more legs. They weren’t as much fun this time around, and I still have Cha3 to entertain me. Next week: Teri & Ian and Charm hate each other. Danielle hates fish. Eric might hate Danielle.
The Amazing Race: All-Stars, Episode 2 - With Friends Like These… by Jenn Brasler -- 02/26/2006 We know most people dislike Rob & Amber, but they aren’t the only team causing problems with their competitors. Why are people getting frustrated with Charla & Mirna, and who are they getting annoyed with? And will it hurt their standings in the race? First off, thanks to everyone for the nickname suggestions! I haven’t adopted any yet, but keep brainstorming! I have, however, decided to call Charla & Mirna what I keep typing as shorthand, Charm. It’s meant only in the ironic sense, as we will see shortly. Previously on Peru, Ecuador, Same Thing: 11 all-star teams headed from Miami to Quito, Ecuador. At the airport, David & Mary lied to Kandice & Dustin, but it backfired. Rob & Amber got the other teams talking and Drew fell down, go boom. Romber came in first but Jill & JV were eliminated. Ten teams are left: Rob & Amber (Team Romber) - Married/Oh, you know who they are Oswald & Danny (Team Cha3) - Friends/My new best friends Teri & Ian - Married/Much calmer this time around Eric & Danielle - Dating/He’s going to drag her all over the place, I bet Joe & Bill (Team Guido) - Partners/Much more amusing than on their first season Dustin & Kandice - Friends/People still don’t like them Uchenna & Joyce - Married/Haven’t done much yet Charla & Mirna (Team Charm) - Cousins/Mirna’s still annoying David & Mary - Married/Um, what are they doing here? Kevin & Drew - Friends/Off to a slow start At the Pit Stop, Drew suffered from altitude sickness and had to be given oxygen. Eek. In the meantime, Romber are leaving first at 7:42 a.m. They’re flying to Santiago, Chile, where they have to find the Codelco Building. Rob interviews that the other teams have no idea what they’re in for. He doesn’t necessarily want them to be afraid of him and Amber, just preoccupied and distracted. Cha3 leave. Oswald interviews that they’ve already proven they’re here to compete. He wants to keep their focus and win. In the car, he and Danny joke about pulling over and waiting for other teams. Teri & Ian leave next as Ian interviews that if they follow their model of “stop, look, and listen,” they’ll be fine. Eric & Danielle leave and he teases that if she falls down the hill, he’ll call her Humpty Dumb-a%$. He hopes they don’t have any relationship problems on the race. Guido leave. “Who says gay men can’t drive?” one of them says in the car. Um… I don’t know, who? Kandice & Dustin leave, followed shortly after by Uchenna & Joyce. Kandice interviews that they weren’t thrilled to come in sixth on the first leg. Joyce interviews that she and Uchenna learned a lot of life lessons on their first race. Uchenna adds that he can’t have Mrs. Right without being Mr. Right. These people are having marriage problems? With statements like that, he should be a marriage counselor! Charm leave, follows by Mary & David. Mirna says they’ll let David navigate. Mary interviews that she thought they wouldn’t like Charm, but she’s loved them since she met them. On the way out on a road full of ditches, Charm get stuck and Mary & David tow them out. Mirna says they’re sweet and down to earth, as well as the most trustworthy team in the race. She says they’re in a little bit of an alliance. Danger, Mirna! Danger! Kevin & Drew leave. Kevin says Drew is trying his hardest while dealing with not feeling well. They bicker in the car. Kevin continues that it’s a little frustrating, but his only other choice is not to do this. They get stuck, too, but since there’s no other team around to tow them out, it’s up to Kevin. This is a recipe for disaster. It works, though Drew then takes off without Kevin, who gets pulled along. “Oh, sorry,” says Drew. Romber head to a travel agent and are told about a flight that will get them to Santiago at 1:50 a.m. Elsewhere, Oswald & Danny are told about the same flight. Rob tells his and Amber’s agent not to tell anyone else about the flight. Eric & Danielle get tickets at the airport for a flight that lands at 2:30 a.m. They’re told this is the earliest flight. Teri & Ian get that flight, too. Romber take off on their first flight as Guido get tickets for the 2:30 flight. Dustin & Kandice and Uchenna & Joyce get tickets for that one, too. Oswald & Danny board their flight as Drew & Kevin meet up with Charm and David & Mary. All get on the 2:30 flight. Mirna wants to make sure “one amigo,” Rob, is on their flight. Romber, however, are already on their way to Lima, their connection to Santiago. Rob thinks they’ll be the first team there and other teams must be wondering where they are. He’s right. But then Romber’s luck runs out as they meet up with Oswald & Danny and the teams find out their flight is delayed. The other eight teams board their plane. David tells us that after doing the last race, he and Mary learned to put their packs in the overhead compartments at the front of the plane, specifically in first class. I’m surprised they’re allowed to do that. Drew catches them and takes their bags out of the bins. Joyce, Joe, and I find this amusing, but David is displeased and says that Drew is playing dirty. He literally says, “He started it,” so it’s on. You have to be kidding me. Aren’t these people adults? “He started it”? That doesn’t even work in kindergarten! As my father used to say to me and my brothers when we used that excuse as kids, “I don’t care who started it, I’m going to finish it.” Dear all racers: you are grownups, and yet Billy and Carissa Gaghan have more class and maturity than some of you. Get over it, run your own race, and stop acting like children. Love, the world. Romber and Cha3 get on their flight to Lima, which arrives just after the other teams’ flight, it looks like. In Lima, they’re delayed again, so the other eight teams have just gotten a jump on them. Eric & Danielle are first off the plane in Santiago, followed by Uchenna & Joyce. Those teams are also the first to the Codelco Building and the first Roadblock of the race. One person from each team must search a boardroom for letters of the alphabet on display. When the letters are unscrambled, they’ll have a destination that they can match to a photo on the wall. When they give the correct destination team to a security guard outside the room, they’ll get their next clue. Joyce and Eric do the task. The boardroom is full of men pretending to discuss business in Spanish. Joyce and Eric start writing down letters as Kandice & Dustin arrive and Dustin takes the task. Guido are next and Bill takes the Roadblock, joking that he’ll do well at this because he puts his initials on his own clothes. Drew & Kevin show up and Kevin takes the task. Eric emerges from the boardroom first but doesn’t have the right word. Joyce has spelled out “planetarium,” but that’s not right. Dustin spots the photos and figures out that the destination she needs is Chuquicamata, a copper mine. She’s correct. Said mine is 230 miles away, so that requires another flight. Dustin hopes no one saw her reading off of the picture. Eric sees the same photo but he doesn’t realize he needs an H, so he dismisses it. Oops! As Romber and Cha3 land, Bill figures out there are extra letters and gets the right answer. Joyce is still wrong as Teri & Ian finally show up. Guido head off as Ian takes the task. Teri says he has a better eye for detail because was a cop. Charm arrive with David & Mary and Mary and Charla take the Roadblock for their teams. That might be bad for Charla because the photo is above her line of sight. Mary first writes down all the names on the wall. Smart woman, there. Romber show up and Amber takes the task. Cha 3 are there last and Oswald takes the task. Eric can’t believe everyone’s there and his lead is gone. Mary shows Charla her words from the wall, and after noticing the Q’s in the room, they find a photo with “Chuquicamata” on it. On a hunch, Mary tries giving it to the security guard, and she’s right. That was also very smart - the worst thing that could have happened was she would have to go in, and she wouldn’t have lost much time. Kevin appears to peek over her shoulder, but he doesn’t actually get the answer, so it doesn’t matter. Charla gets it, though, so she and Mirna head off with David & Mary. Kevin gets his clue and he and Drew take off. Uchenna and Danielle can’t believe they’re still working. While Ian and Joyce confer, Oswald and Amber talk to Eric, then figure out the right answer. Amber and Oswald leave Eric, Ian, and Joyce in the boardroom, but Eric soon heads out after them, telling Ian and Joyce he doesn’t know the answer. He does, though, so he’s finished. Kandice & Dustin arrive at the airport, followed by Guido, Mary & David, and Charm. Joyce finally gets the right word and tells Ian what it is. In the cab on the way to the airport, Uchenna makes hilarious faces as Joyce says she’s usually good at attention to detail. At the airport, we get a ticket-getting montage. A ticket agent opens a new line and Eric heads over to it, even though he’s not the first person in line. Rob calls him on it, probably just mad he didn’t get there first. Rob interviews that it’s nothing personal; he’s just trying to stir the pot. If that’s how they’re playing, then fine. He is, however, a little peeved when Amber defends Eric. I think Amber is as sick of Rob’s crap as most people are. Amber says Rob was wrong and this just made him look silly. Rob says Amber is supposed to have his back. There’s always a method to his madness. All the teams head to Calama, Chile. Outside the airport, there are a few taxis waiting and Kevin & Drew, Guido, and Dustin & Kandice get to them first. Kandice & Dustin pass the other teams and make faces at Drew & Kevin. Mature. Charm and Romber also pass Guido. Dustin & Kandice and Drew & Kevin are the first to the mine, followed by Romber, Charm, Guido, and Eric & Danielle. All of them suit up in hardhats and safety vests. Romber are first to the clue box, where they get a Detour. The choices are By Hand or By Machine. In Hand, teams choose a huge tire and put washers and bolts on to secure it to a truck. In Machine, teams drive frontloaders to transfer gravel and cover a line on a stick. Keep in mind that both team members have to drive at least once. Romber take Machine because, as Rob reminds us, he’s spent years working in construction and is used to driving these sorts of machines. The teams quickly start picking tasks. Rob enjoys watching Amber drive the backhoe. Cha3 and Dustin & Kandice do Hand. Apparently Kandice & Dustin’s Miss America talents had nothing to do with auto maintenance. David & Mary do Hand, too, and also have some trouble. Charla is a little too short to reach the bolts on her and Mirna’s wheel, so she goes off to grab a stepstool as she and Mirna yell at each other. Um, Mirna, if she can’t do the task, you’ll have to either wait or switch. Kandice interviews that their style is a little abrasive. Montage of Detour tasks. Romber are the first to finish and are sent on a drive to the Valley of the Moon. The road is windy, and they can’t drive more than 40 kilometers an hour until they leave it. Eventually, they’ll get to the Valley of the Dead, this leg’s Pit Stop. The Pit Stop already? It’s only 8:35! Oh, and the last team to arrive may be eliminated. Guido do Machine. David pulls so hard on a bolt that he falls over. Another montage. Eric & Danielle, Uchenna & Joyce, and Cha3 all finish up around the same time, but it’s Cha3 who are first given the okay to leave. In the car, Danny says, “My manicurist would be so angry with me if she saw what I was doing today.” Guido realize that both of them have to drive; apparently Joe said that earlier but Bill didn’t listen. Drew pauses to take some meds. David & Mary have to undo a bunch of bolts because they’re not up to snuff. Guido finish for real this time, followed by Teri & Ian. Drew & Kevin are done but Drew doesn’t feel like running. Teri & Ian seem to have misplaced their car. Charm are done, so only David & Mary and Kandice & Dustin remain at the Detour. Kandice & Dustin are done first and happy not to be the last team. Ian & Teri finally find their car, but the delay has allowed Kandice & Dustin to get a little ahead of them. Ian notes that they didn’t do well with “stop, look, and listen” today. Mary despairs over the fact that she and David are the only people left at the Detour. Romber and Cha3 are at the front of the pack once again. “I think I was a man in a previous life,” Danny says as he and Oswald congratulate themselves over their quick work at the Detour and giggle over the work “nuts.” Seriously, people, give them their own show. Mary & David finish up and head off on the trail of everyone else. Charm are following a taxi and aren’t happy to have Dustin & Kandice right behind them, taking advantage of what they paid for. The taxi driver stops, and as Mirna asks him why, Dustin & Kandice approach and ask to follow them. Mirna wants them to split the fee, which is fair, or they’ll just hang out there and Dustin & Kandice won’t be able to follow them. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. How will that get Charm to the Pit Stop any faster? Charla impatiently and a little harshly asks Dustin & Kandice what they want to do. Dustin tells her to chill, first of all. They find out the cost of following the taxi driver is $100, and Charm helpfully interpret for Dustin & Kandice. Dustin suggests that the driver draw them a map, but Charm don’t like this idea. Kandice & Dustin decide this isn’t worth it and head back to their car to navigate on their own. Kandice notes that Mirna is a little scary. She ain’t seen nothin’ yet. To add insult to injury, Teri & Ian happily pass Charm, who are still talking to the taxi driver on the side of the road. Mirna gives the taxi driver her fanny pack (which all teams have to hold their money, passports, etc.) and says he can have all their money. “What do you want from me?” she exclaims. She’s crying and speaking bad Spanish. Geez, chill, drama queen. Oh, and then David & Mary pass them. Ha! Back in the car, Charm wonder what the heck is wrong with Kandice & Dustin. “What planet do you come from?” Mirna says. Is she talking to herself? Charla interviews (with hilariously ironic music in the background - thanks, editors!) that it’s easy to make yourself beautiful with plastic surgery, but harder to have morals and be pure of heart. Uh, this is a race, not the competition for the Nobel Peace Prize. Romber and Cha3 enter the Valley of the Moon. Danny loves the view and Oswald says it makes him happy to be alive. He’s so moved he’s crying and teasing himself a little about it. Eric and Uchenna get directions as they enter the 40-kilometer-an-hour area. Romber is on the way to the Valley of the Dead now, which means they can speed up to 50 kilometers per hour. Just like last week, the first two teams to approach the Pit Stop are Romber and Cha3, and just like last week, Romber hit the mat first. They win motorcycles and do a cute little dance. Teri & Ian meet up with Kandice & Dustin on a narrow road. Mary & David and Charm approach as well and are all stuck in a line. Meanwhile, Cha3 are second to the mat. Excellent recovery for them and Romber. Kevin & Drew are told about the speed limit in the Valley of the Moon. Kandice & Dustin decide to skip the lesson and pass them. Teri & Ian are also told about the speed limit. There’s a lot of repetition about the speed limit. Do you think that’ll be important? Uchenna & Joyce and Eric & Danielle are ahead of those teams, in third and fourth place, respectively, but Uchenna & Joyce aren’t sure which way to go and the two teams head off in different directions. Guido go after Eric & Danielle and Uchenna & Joyce realize they should go back. Eric & Danielle get stuck, so Guido get a little ahead and beat them to the mat to come in third. Bill wants a hug from Phil since the girls always get one. Eric & Danielle are right behind them in fourth place, and Uchenna & Joyce, who quickly got themselves on the right road, get to the mat in fifth. Dustin & Kandice drive towards the Valley of the Death. At this point, I thought they would get busted for driving too fast, since they didn’t listen to the lesson about driving 40 kilometers per hour, but a different team is affected. Kevin & Drew think that no one can pass them because they all have to drive 40 kilometers per hour, but Teri & Ian, who are right behind them, pass because the speed limit is now up to 50 kilometers per hour. Read your clues, Kevin & Drew! Drew & Kevin wind up behind everyone else, thinking the others are driving over the speed limit. Charm pass David & Mary, who realizes, “Wait! We don’t have to play nice!” There’s various car racing and posturing among Mary & David, Charm, and Teri & Ian. But then all of the teams take the wrong turn and Drew & Kevin follow them. Kandice & Dustin ask a park ranger for directions and see the other teams heading past them. They decide to double-check the directions before leaving, just to make sure. Teri & Ian notice and decide to turn around. Kevin & Drew approach, making Dustin & Kandice nervous. Dustin & Kandice have been given the right directions and get to the mat in sixth place again. This time, they’re okay with it. Teri & Ian are seventh and admit that it was a rough leg. The final three teams are all lost. Charm find a taxi to follow while Drew almost hits them while asking Kevin for water. Mirna starts yelling that Drew drives like a girl and doesn’t know where he’s going. She’s so pleasant, isn’t she? The three teams head to the Valley of the Dead, and it’s Charm and Mary & David who arrive in eighth and ninth places, respectively. Mary says she’s dissatisfied. She interviews that all she does is help people, and Charm were her friends, but now she won’t help anyone anymore. But will she still lie to people about flights? Hey, Mary, see what I said above about this being a race. Shut down the pity party and get your butt in gear, because there’s no Six Pack around to drag you along this time around. Kevin & Drew struggle up to the mat, and they’re eliminated. Drew won’t even stay on the mat to hear the news. Phil looks confused. Kevin says Drew isn’t happy and has had all the pressure on him because he’s been driving. Drew says he didn’t quit and he tried his hardest, which is all he can ask. He says Kevin held them together. Kevin says they’re a team, and if their positions had been reversed, Drew would have done the same for him. This was a great opportunity and Kevin wouldn’t have passed it up for the world, but it’s bittersweet. It certainly is, but I can’t say I’m upset we don’t have to see them struggle through any more legs. They weren’t as much fun this time around, and I still have Cha3 to entertain me. Next week: Teri & Ian and Charm hate each other. Danielle hates fish. Eric might hate Danielle.