This week's episode of The Amazing Race was . . . just okay. It began with the six remaining teams, fresh off Mika and Canaan's well-deserved elimination (for Mika, especially), leaving Dubai, United Arab Emirates, behind and making their way to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Meghan and Cheyne wanted to focus on staying in the front of the pack. Maria and Tiffany knew not to get comfortable with their previous second-place finish. Brian and Ericka were planning to recognize any onset of "nagging wife" tendencies from Ericka. And Flight Time and Big Easy were more than aware that every team wanted them out of the race since they were a big threat. Prior to their flight at the airport, Flight Time and Big Easy recapped their miraculous comeback thanks to Mika's horrible meltdown at the Leap of Faith waterslide. Also, Sam and Dan decided to come out to the other teams, which elicited surprised reactions from everyone.
The Roadblock saw one member of each team heading up the tallest building in the Netherlands and counting all the bells that were seen along the way up. There were sixty-two bells. Meghan, Sam, Flight Time, Matt, Tiffany, and Ericka all took the task for their teams. Everyone got it right on the first try except for Ericka, who need three tries to get it right.
The Detour was a choice between Farmer's Game and Farmer's Dance. The teams would have to do don traditional Dutch costumes and then ride bicycles to the task of their choice. Farmer's Game involved stripping down to their underwear, swimming across a creek, and finally finishing a game of Dutch golf in under eight strokes. Farmer's Dance involved hitting the bell in a "strongest man"-type game and then performing a traditional Dutch dance, after which they'd have to eat a helping of raw herring. Sam and Dan and Meghan and Cheyne all chose and completed Farmer's Game. Flight Time and Big Easy and Brian and Ericka all chose and completed Farmer's Dance. Gary and Matt initially chose Farmer's Dance, but switched to Farmer's Game when they found out that they'd have to eat herring, which both of them hated. Maria and Tiffany actually chose Farmer's Dance, at first, switched once to Farmer's Game after some initial failures at hitting the bell, but then switched back to Farmer's Dance again, followed by another switch to Farmer's Game. Both tasks were far too physical for them.
In the end, Sam and Dan arrived at the Pit Stop first. Boo. They're boring and I hate their loud, obnoxious asses. They won a sand buggy as their prize. Meghan and Cheyne finished second, having trailed the gay brothers the entire leg. Flight Time and Big Easy checked in third. Gary and Matt hit the mat in fourth. This left things down to Brian and Ericka, who'd fallen behind due to the Roadblock (and missing the bicycles required to get to the Detour certainly didn't help them), and Maria and Tiffany, who'd fallen behind due to the Detour and three switches during the task. In the end, Brian and Ericka arrived fifth, but incurred a thirty-minute penalty for getting to the Detour of their choice without riding bikes (though they rode to the Pit Stop on some they'd borrowed from some locals). But they rode it out and checked in at fifth place. This left Maria and Tiffany to finish last after completing neither Detour. And the season's only all-female team was eliminated in the very field in which Farmer's Game took place, as Phil had to come out and eliminate them personally since they took so long.
This was a very, very sad ending. And also kind of unfair. I liked Maria and Tiffany (but I like all women's teams, except Kim and Leslie from season one, Danielle and Dani from season nine, and Lyn and Karlyn from season ten), and I hated seeing them go out like that. This leg was a textbook example of how the race should avoid having a leg with two physical Detours. On this leg, the teams with at least one male on the team would have the advantage at the Detour. An all-female team (or even an oldster team) would have a problem with both of them, as Maria and Tiffany showed here. (Speaking of oldster teams, I do wonder how Marcy and Ron would've fared had they made it this far rather than gotten eliminated in Vietnam?) In my opinion, this leg was practically designed to eliminate an oldster team or a women's team with both Detours being physical. Farmer's Dance should've included the dance and the herring, and nothing else. It sucks the Detour eliminated not only an all-female team, but the only all-female team in the race. Boo, Amazing Race. Boo.
In other news, some people on Television Without Pity are saying all five teams left are likable somewhat, but I don't agree. Sam and Dan are boring and bring nothing to the table, entertainment-wise. And while Brian's okay, Ericka's annoying. Meghan and Cheyne, Flight Time and Big Easy, and Gary and Matt I definitely want to see stick around, though.
Once more, here's the order in which the teams finished:
#1. Sam and Dan (Prize: One Sand Buggy)
#2. Meghan and Cheyne
#3. Flight Time and Big Easy
#4. Gary and Matt
#5. Brian and Ericka
#6. Maria and Tiffany (ELIMINATED; Checked out at Detour)
Five teams remain. With the return of a familiar, very-much-hated Roadblock and the first appearance of the Switchback coming up, who'll be eliminated next week? We'll see then!