The Amazing Race: Cherry on Top of the Sundae That's Already Melted

Filed under: Recaps & Reviews

Teams are sent on their way from Vilnius, Lithuania, to Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Read on for more!

First, there is a whole heckuva lot of time spent on a boring airport scrambling sequence setting up some serious flight dramatics.

TK & Rachel and Nic & Gramps are booked on a 6 a.m. flight through Prague. Nate & Jenn, the Lipsticks and Ron & Christina get economy seats on a 6:25 flight through Warsaw. A&H do not. Get economy seats, that is. Somehow, even though we are led to believe Azaria clearly asks for economy, they are booked in business class. Now, as you know, it's a hard and fast rule of the game that all seats booked must be economy class, unless teams are offered an upgrade by the airline at no extra cost. A&H book it back to the ticketing office to get their seats changed, but to no avail. They miss the flight.

This is fine by me at this point, because Azaria has been being an absolute ass to his sister, just completely berating her in the airport in front of everyone for no apparent reason. Ick.

But alas, for then! The booking lady tells them that their competitors who are traveling through Prague will miss their connecting flight due to delays! But that's TK & Rachel and Nic & Gramps, my two favourite teams! Oh noes!! And they do! Miss their flight, I mean! Oh, it is so sad. TK & Rachel finagle their way onto a Dubrovnik-bound flight through Vienna, but they get the last seats, and Nic & Gramps are only able to book seats on another flight through Zagreb. We're not informed what times they take off or when their respective arrivals will be. Curious.

First to arrive in Dubrovnik are the non-delayed Warsaw travelers, Nate & Jenn, Lipstick Co. and Ron & Christina. Croatia is gorgeous, and all the teams agree. Also, I think Christina speaks some of every language on earth. Remarkable. The Roadblock this leg asks teams to assist in renovations to the city wall, damaged in the civil war in the 90s. Basically, they just have to find one of eight rocks in a pile of 150 that will fit into some gaps in the wall. Ron completes it with very little trouble.

Oh man, tandem zipline time! It's across some water from one fort to another, and it looks super sweet. Meanwhile, Nate & Jenn and the Lipsticks are having an abnormal amount of trouble finding the Roadblock clue box.

After the zipline comes the Detour. Short & Long or Long & Short. Bwah? The first involves rappelling, climbing and walking a fair distance; the point of its moniker is that the physically challenging part is short, but the distance and navigation involved in the walking could be confusing. The latter includes another tandem zipline (jealous!) – more of a hangy-onny or flying fox type than a free-hands harness one like the first – swimming, rowing and some running. It's very physical, but the distance involved is much shorter than in the first choice.

Ron & Christina are, surprisingly, choosing Long & Short. Ron is formidable, even with his hernia, heh. Nate & Jenn, having completed the roadblock and the zipline, choose the same. And as usual, rowing is causing the most fighting out of anything except maybe ornery animals. What is it about rowing that gets people so irate? The Lipsticks are doing the other option, so they will live one more day without screaming at each other. (Spoiler alert!)

Whoa, already we're at a pit stop clue. There is something wonky about this leg, I'm telling you, with the weird flight stuff and not telling us when people arrive and the dinky little tasks... Hrmm. I am suspicious. At any rate, the pit stop is a big stone cross that overlooks the city. It's a race between Nate & Jenn and Ron & Christina for first place. Oh goodie, the two teams who like each other the least, although I must give Ron & Christina – Christina in particular – some props for how well they've been treating each other this leg. That girl just does not give up on getting her daddy to be a proper gentleman to her, and for that I have a great deal of respect.

Anyway, the first taxi driver Nate & Jenn find won't take them because they're wet from the rowing. Heh. You're not in Africa anymore, dears; these people like their cars. Ron & Christina have no such trouble. They must dry faster. Jenn is losing it. You might think it's because of the cabs, but when Nate tries to tell her it's ok, she says, "No, it's not okay. Our relationship sucks." Ohhhh. They sucker some random non-cab driver into taking them to the pit stop. The guy is not surprised that the taxis wouldn't take them, and I guarantee you all he's thinking about right now is how he's going to have to take a hairdryer to his backseat in about ten minutes.

Finally arriving in Croatia at about this time are TK & Rachel. Meanwhile, Ron & Christina hit the pit stop in first place and win a catamaran. Nate & Jenn get there in second, but! The clue told them to cab it to the pit stop and they most certainly did not, so they're sent back to the same spot to find a cab to bring them. Ahahahaha. Lesson learned: Do not sucker the locals. I bet that guy is not impressed that they soggied up his seats for nothing. Jenn is hitting a serious wall here. I think she needs to go home and curl up with her pillow and her blanket and have a long, long nap. Meanwhile, TK & Rachel are trucking along, and the Lipsticks are checked in in second place.

In a weird and awesome twist, there is some guy stationed at the steps leading up to the pit stop that fires off some kind of gun every time a team passes him. Every single team screams when it happens (Jenn twice), and I giggle every time. Nate & Jenn get third. They're not having a good day. They need naps, I'm telling you.

Oh YAY, Nic & Gramps arrive. Thank goodness! But shortly behind them (according to the editing) are A&H. Boo! TK & Rachel are still Detouring, having a great time and being adorable and encouraging. It's a wonderful change of pace from watching Nate & Jenn for the past 35 minutes. Gramps is having a little trouble with the Roadblock and Nic is getting frustrated. I think not knowing where any of the other teams are is taking a toll on him and his usual calmness. But Gramps finishes before A&H even find the clue. TK & Rachel hit the mat in fourth.

As Nic & Gramps are getting set to do the first zipline, they can see A&H arriving at the clue below them. Oof. Nic & Gramps choose the ziplining and rowing detour, in part so that Nic can row while Gramps rests, because he's getting pretty tired. Azaria takes the Roadblock, they zipline the first time, and then they too choose the ziplining detour. Nic & Gramps are getting a little testy with each other, which is still really kind and supportive compared to most people in this game, heh. They get the pit stop clue first. A&H are pretty close behind. I bite my nails. Nic calls Gramps "Don" again. They're not sure how fast A&H did "their detour," which leads me to believe they couldn't see them rowing behind them, which means there's a little more of a gap here than the editing would have us believe. And which also means my heart lifts a little in hopes of Nic & Gramps getting fifth. (Though, let's face it, this is probably non-elimination.)

And here... in mighty, mighty fifth place, getting the crap scared out of them by gunshots, is... NIC & GRAMPS!!!! Holler. Nic: "Survivin' by the hair on our chinny-chin-chin." Bwah! Love. And now, A&H, in last. Eliminated. Whoa! When are they ever going to have a non-elimination leg? They're really proud of each other and think they'll be closer than ever now. Well, that's nice. I guess she doesn't mind being treated the way he treats her.

Come back in two weeks to see the Lipsticks fight!

Tags: The Amazing Race

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