photo: cbs
The Amazing Race
Ali Baba in a Suit
Original Air Date: 14 Nov, 2010
Rachel – Sr. Managing Editor
rachel@thetwocentscorp.com
Rachel here, pinch-hitting for Farrah who is off having a good time watching cars turn left all weekend. Whatever floats your boat, right? Right. But today, we’re talking about a different race. And I hear it’s amazing.
The 8th leg of the race started in St. Petersburg, Russia, but didn’t stay there for long; clue #1 told the teams to fly to Muscat, Oman. The following is the rundown of what happened in the episode using my list of The Top Six Things I learned from The Amazing Race 17.
6. If you sleep in, you can still win! Chad & Stephanie missed their mat time by 2 whole hours. Everyone thought, upon landing in Oman, that the two were still in Russia. But SURPRISE! They caught a flight that arrived a mere ten minutes after the bulk of the teams. Then random-of-all-random, while waiting for the next clue, Chad dropped down to one knee and proposed. Huh? I seriously thought this team might break up on the Race, not get engaged! And couldn’t you have waited for the Paris leg, Chad? Perhaps he thought, because if the whole sleeping in thing, this would be their last leg and his only chance to propose on national television. All joking aside, congratulations. Cupid must also be the Patron Saint of Competition-Based Reality Programming, because they sailed through to the Pit Stop in 1st, winning a trip to Belize. Honeymoon, anyone?
5. Follow the rules, stupid. Jill & Thomas *almost* won that trip to Belize, but one can’t pay a taxi driver to lead one to a location. Even I knew that. They incurred a 30 minute penalty and were checked in 2nd. One cool thing did happen to them, though. The Detour had the teams choosing between Water Table (pump water from a well and deliver it to house in town) or Wedding Table (making a traditional weeding soup which, by the way, no one chose). Jill & Thomas picked Water and stopped for direction, running into the cousin of the man they were trying to deliver water to. Small world, even in Oman.
4. Sometimes the tough tattooed guy is the biggest baby. How many times can Nick tell Vicki to shut up before she smacks him upside the head? And how much of his whining can I take before I start muting every segment he’s in? I’m a firm believer in Karma, and she started pushing back this leg: a goat tried to eat their third clue. It isn’t much, but I’ll take it. Oh, and they got a flat tire. Yay! The Road Block was a 500-foot rappel down a cliff to a waiting nomad with hundreds of genie lamps to search through for Aladdin’s ring. Nick doesn’t want to do it? He’s scared of heights? You’re kiddin’ me. Unfortunately for them (and all those watching), they arrived at the Pit Stop in 3rd place and will live to race another day. Blerg.
3. Even the police in Oman are nice to cute girls. Near the end of the leg, Brooke turned the wrong way down a one-way street and the cops showed up. I thought for sure it would make for some good television: maybe a trip down to the station? Nope. They just went on their merry, home-shopping way and got to the Pit Stop in 4th place.
2. I really don’t think the Race is as close as they edit it. Nat & Kat ran an awful leg. There was much getting lost and stopping for directions and taking hours at both the Road Block and the Detour. But Mallory & Gary got lost more. The ending led us to believe, as it always does, that it was a foot race to the mat and Phil. Who would it be? Nat and Kat of course. They arrived in 5th and still have a shot at the million. And that leads us to…
1. Nice guys sometimes DO finish last. No! Gary & Mallory (my favorite team), who had never used a map before this leg, decided to use one and it cost them the Race. They were so hopelessly lost, I was hoping from about minute 10 of the episode that it was a non-elimination because I knew they were in trouble. Mallory did have the quote of the episode, though. Just before the pit stop, the teams had to find some frankincense in a market and take it to a man dressed as Ali Baba, Running through the market, Mallory knew the way by following her nose: “It smells like out church!” Mallory, you are so sweet and funny. Gary, you are such a good daddy to you’re cute little girl. I’ll miss you both.
What did YOU think! Did the right team get eliminated? Who will be eliminated next? Who will win? Leave your pick in the comment section below!
TheTwoCents 
I go away to watch cars turn left (which is amazing, BTW) and you write an awesome recap?? You be taking my job away?? JKJK 🙂 Thanks!
So, can we start off with the random proposal in the middle of the morning? Can we say out of nowhere? BTW, when did Stephanie have blond short hair? She’s always wearing that wrap.
Ok, and where have I been that people can’t pay cabs to lead them places anymore? Did that change in the past few seasons? Teams have done that for a while.
I’m over Nick and Vicki. Wish they were edited out.
Sad to say they’re from Vegas.
I’m also sad that Gary and Mallory are gone. UGH. I liked them.
I try. 😉
About the whole cab-leading thing, I believe you can still do it in some instances, but I think when it says “drive yourselves” you can’t. Not 100% on that rule.
Glad you had a good weekend! 🙂