TAR24, Recap Leg 1, 2/23/14

Welcome to Leg 1! We’re back to TAR after a hiatus, and it couldn’t come soon enough.  This time, we find Phil at UCLA hanging out with their ninety year old marching band.  And then the all-star teams come running down the bleachers.  The eleven teams are: (click for more)

Jet and Cord, AKA The Cowboys (TAR 16, Second Place; TAR 18, Sixth Place), are cowboy brothers from Oklahoma.  Cord: “Don’t hit the yak!”  Cord got married before their second race, so things should be settling down for them.

Caroline and Jennifer, AKA The Country Singers (TAR 22, Fourth Place), are country singers and friends from Nashville, Tennessee.  They were boy crazy last time.  (Toyouke: “You know those stupid blonde girls will have some "race boyfriends" as soon as they can.”)  And they still sing.

Natalie and Nadiya, AKA The Twinnies (TAR 21, Fourth Place), are twins born in New York but raised in Sri Lanka.  Nadiya: “If you’re not a hot mess, you’re not racing right!”  Good.  (Auburnium0513: “At least one of the Twinnies dyed her hair.”)  Cue. . .

Brendon and Rachel, AKA Team Brenchel (TAR 20, Third Place), are MARRIED from Los Angeles.  Brendon: “We’re married now, so we’ll fight way less!”

Jessica and John, AKA Cocky YDC (TAR 22, Ninth Place), are engaged from Huntington Beach, California.  John: “I was eliminated with an Express Pass.  That was dumb.”

Flight Time and Big Easy, AKA The Globetrotters (TAR 15, Fourth Place; TAR 18, Second Place), are Harlem Globetrotter teammates.  Big Easy: “We haven’t lost a game in fifteen years, but we’ve lost The Amazing Race twice!”

Dave and Connor, AKA Team LIVESTRONG (TAR 22, Eighth Place), are father and son from Salt Lake City, Utah.  Connor: “How many teams do you know that can win legs on only one leg?”

Joey and Meghan, AKA The YouTubers (TAR 22, Fifth Place), are YouTube sensations from Los Angeles.  Joey: “We have 3 billion subscribers!”

Leo and Jamal, AKA The Afghanimals (TAR 23, Fourth Place), are cousins from Southern California.  They are sneaky and conniving.  Woo.

Margie and Luke, AKA Team ASL Rainbow (TAR 14, Third Place; TAR 18, Eighth Place), are mother and son from Colorado.  Luke is gay and deaf.  Luke: “I now have to make up for TWO mistakes!”

Bopper and Mark, AKA Team Kentucky (TAR 20, Fifth Place), are best friends from Kentucky.

The camera careens to College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California where the teams run in and where Phil . . . starts with an announcement.  Bopper was taken by the Race Doctor to Cedars-Sanai hospital the night before and not been given clearance to race.  Since Mark could still race, he is given a replacement teammate.  So, this now makes our last team:

Mark and Mallory, AKA Franken-Team Kentucky (Mark: TAR 20, Fifth Place; Mallory: TAR 17, Sixth Place; TAR 18, Third Place), just happen to both be from Kentucky.

NOW Phil gives his standard speech.  There will be twelve legs, nine countries and 35000 miles.  As per usual, if they win the first leg they get the Express Pass.  But there is a bonus!  They get a second Express Pass to give to whomever they please by the fifth leg!  Oh, and the first team to finish will win ONE MILLION DOLLARS (US$1000000)!  Teams are now expected to go travel to Guangzhou, China.  However, they must find a band member with the symbol for Guangzhou on their hat in order to get tickets to China.  Once they get their tickets, they must get in a For Fusion Energy, drive to LAX, and plug in the car before the flight.  Then oh so sexy Phil does his standard patter: “Ready?  The world is waiting for you . . .again.  Good luck, travel safe.  Cue Phil's eyebrow pop.  GO!”  Who will be eliminated . . . tonight?

College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, California, USA

Clue: Travel to Guangzhou, China!  Once there, travel by taxi or metro to the Street of Wedding Dresses.  Once there, find one of three shops (Precious One, Silver Gorgeous, Rich Forest and Beauty) to get one of a limited number of clues.

 

Teams grab their band members, get their tickets, grab bags and choose a vehicle.  Thus, the order of departure for the airport is:

1- Leo/Jamal
2- Jet/Cord
3- Dave/Connor

4- Natalie/Nadiya  

5- Jessica/John

6- Caroline/Jennifer

7- Mark/Mallory

8- Brendon/Rachel

9- Joey/Meghan

10- Margie/Luke

11- Flight Time/Big Easy

Teams drive themselves to the airport and find the marked parking lot, which just happens to have a No Parking sign labeled specifically for the cars for the time period of the race.  I think we should remember that.  They arrive in the following order:

1- Dave/Connor
2- Natalie/Nadiya
3- Leo/Jamal

4- Mark/Mallory  

5- Brandon/Rachel

6- Jet/Cord

7- Jessica/John

8- Joey/Meghan

9- Caroline/Jennifer

10- Flight Time/Big Easy

11- Margie/Luke

Once everyone arrives, since everyone already has their flights, so they head onto the following planes:

Flight 1, CX Air through Hong Kong:

1) Leo/Jamal  
2) Jet/Cord
3) Dave/Connor

4) Natalie/Nadiya

Flight 2, Eva Air through Taipei:

1) Jessica/John

2) Caroline/Jennifer

3) Mark/Mallory

4) Brendon/Rachel

5) Joey/Meghan

6) Flight Time/Big Easy

7) Margie/Luke

So, teams board their respective flights.  The Amazing Green and Blue Lines take us to Guangzhou, where teams arrive in the following order:

1- Jet/Cord – who are the only team on the first flight to take Metro.
2- Natalie/Nadiya
3- Leo/Jamal

4- Dave/Connor

5- Caroline/Jennifer – who miss the first metro into town, as do. . .

6- Jessica/John – and . . .

7- Joey/Meghan

8- Brendon/Rachel

9- Mark/Mallory

10- Flight Time/Big Easy

11- Margie/Luke

Teams arrive at the Street of Wedding Dresses in the following order:

1- Jet/Cord
2- Natalie/Nadiya
3- Leo/Jamal – and Leo apparently got married.  Who knew?  (Toyouke: “Who would marry an Afghanimal?”)

4- Dave/Connor

5- Margie/Luke

6- Brendon/Rachel

7- Mark/Mallory

8- Flight Time/Big Easy

9- Joey/Meghan

10- Jessica/John

11- Caroline/Jennifer

Teams search the Street of Wedding Dresses to find shops and get their clues in the following order:

1- Jet/Cord – who get their clue at Silver Gorgeous.
2- Dave/Connor – who get their clue at Rich Forest and Beauty.

3- Brendon/Rachel – who get their clue at Precious One.

4- Margie/Luke – who get their clue at Precious One.

5- Mark/Mallory – who get their clue at Precious One.

6- Flight Time/Big Easy – who get their clue at Precious One.

7- Leo/Jamal – who get their clue at Silver Gorgeous.

8- Jessica/John – who get their clue at Silver Gorgeous.

9- Joey/Meghan – who get their clue at Silver Gorgeous.

10- Natalie/Nadiya – who get their clue at Precious One, after all the clues are gone at the other two.

11- Caroline/Jennifer – who get their clue at Precious One, after all the clues are gone at the other two.

Teams are now instructed to travel by metro to Canton Tower, travel to the top and ride the Ferris Wheel to get the clue in the EVEN bubbles.

Teams arrive in the following order:

1- Jet/Cord
2- Margie/Luke

3- Brendon/Rachel

4- Dave/Connor

5- Mark/Mallory

6- Leo/Jamal

7- Flight Time/Big Easy

8- Jessica/John

9- Joey/Meghan

10- Caroline/Jennifer

11- Natalie/Nadiya

Teams travel around the Ferris Wheel until they find the clue in the right bubble.  Teams get their clue in the following order:

1- Jet/Cord – (Toyouke: “I do love Jet and Cord watching everyone to see how long it takes them to find the clue.”)
2- Brendon/Rachel

3- Leo/Jamal

4- Margie/Luke

5- Dave/Connor

6- Mark/Mallory

7- Flight Time/Big Easy

8- Jessica/John

9- Caroline/Jennifer

10- Joey/Meghan

11- Natalie/Nadiya

Teams are now instructed to travel to the stadium on the riverfront, Haixinsha Stadium.  Teams arrive in the following order:

1- Jet/Cord
2- Brendon/Rachel

3- Margie/Luke

4- Dave/Connor

5- Leo/Jamal

6- Mark/Mallory

7- Flight Time/Big Easy

8- Jessica/John

9- Caroline/Jennifer

10- Joey/Meghan

11- Natalie/Nadiya

Once they arrive, teams get the first roadblock clue. 

ROADBLOCK:

Who’s feeling wired?

In this roadblock, one team member must don an outfit and participate in a stunt from the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Asian Games by performing five backflips 300 feet in the air.  Once complete, teams will get their next clue.

The following teammates take the Roadblock:

1- Cord
2- Brendon
3- Margie

4- Connor

5- Leo

6- Mallory

7- Flight Time – (Toyouke: “Good to know the Globetrotters still give each other shit as much as possible.”)

8- John

9- Caroline

10- Joey

11- Natalie

After much flipping, teams complete the Roadblock in the following order:

1- Jet/Cord
2- Brendon/Rachel

3- Dave/Connor

4- Margie/Luke

5- Leo/Jamal

6- Mark/Mallory

7- Flight Time/Big Easy

8- Jessica/John

9- Caroline/Jennifer

10- Joey/Meghan

11- Natalie/Nadiya – (Toyouke: “I wasn't upset about the twins being back, but certainly I am OK with not listening to them scream at each other anymore. Or Joey can go. Either way.”)

Teams must now make their way to the PIT STOP by foot, Guangzhou Opera House.  This is the first pit stop in a racearoundtheworld.  The last team to arrive WILL be eliminated!

1- Jet/Cord – who win TWO Express Passes, and must give away the second by the end of the fifth leg.
2- Brendon/Rachel

3- Dave/Connor

4- Margie/Luke

5- Leo/Jamal

6- Mark/Mallory

7- Flight Time/Big Easy

8- Jessica/John

9- Caroline/Jennifer

10- Joey/Meghan

11- Natalie/Nadiya

And Natalie and Nadiya are the first team eliminated.  Good-bye Twinnies!  Nadiya: “Worst day ever.”

ORDER NOW:
1^st – Jet/Cord  
2^nd – Brendon/Rachel
3^rd – Dave/Connor
4^th – Margie/Luke
5^th – Leo/Jamal
6^th – Mark/Mallory

7^th – Flight Time/Big Easy

8^th – Jessica/John

9^th – Caroline/Jennifer

10^th – Joey/Meghan

Next week: Caroline and Jennifer are already trying to get the Cowboys to give it up.  The Express Pass that is.  And Mallory has already lost her luggage.  (Toyouke: “No ALL-STAR should EVER make the mistake of leaving their stuff somewhere.”)  Until next time!