Amazing Race 22 Episode 6 Discussion and Recap *Updated with Poll*

We should feel lucky. Just a few years ago we would have had to live with two weeks without no Amazing Race due to NCAA March Madness but thanks to the tournament being shown on multiple channels CBS gets to keep showing their Sunday Prime Time schedule.

So we will have a new episode tonight. I’m predicting the end of Chuck and Wynona. I just think they are too far behind after Double U-Turn and I don’t see the show doing another challange that allows all times to catch up in back to back legs. Of course it is the Amazing Race so you never know what they will do next. You can never count out a team getting a horrible taxi and/or missing a flight.

Here are last week’s results:

  1. Pamela Chien and Winnie Sung (The Besties)
  2. Max Bichler and Katie Bichler (The Newlyweds)
  3. Mona Egender and Beth Bandimere (The Derby Moms)
  4. Bates Battaglia and Anthony Battaglia (Team Hockey)
  5. Caroline Cutbirth and Jennifer Kuhle (The Stealing Angels)
  6. Joey Graceffa and Meghan Camarena (Team YouTube)
  7. Chuck McCall and Wynona McCall (The Old Timers)
  8. David O’Leary and Connor O’Leary (Team Kick Ass) (Removed Selves from Game)

 

It’s still anyone’s game at this point. I really don’t see any time really separating themselves from the crowd. That makes it a more interesting season and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

For last week’s poll just over 76% agreed that the early elimination of Team Kickass ruined the Double U-Turn. I still agree with this since I was fairly confident that a second team would not be eliminated last week so it took a little drama out of the U-Turn. Also the fact that it was used on a team who was so far behind also didn’t help make it exciting.

Come back later for my recap and feel free to discuss the episode below.

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Welcome to Sunday. Thanks to March Madness I’m being forced to wait for the West Coast feed to watch this week. At least I love March Madness so it’s forgivable. We are down to the final seven teams and in my mind it’s still anyone’s game.

The Besties start off first at 10:40pm. Teams must fly to Maun, Botswana. Once there they must sign up for one of three flights with Mack Air who will fly them to the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park where they will find there next clue.

The Besties feel that they are in a good groove and want to keep the lead. They use the motels internet to figure out it is Botwana which the Newlyweds also do. Both get tickets on a morning flight. The Derby Moms borrow someone’s smartphone to figure out it is Botswana while Stealing Angels and Team Hockey get help from the Newlyweds to get into the travel agent to buy tickets. For their part Chuck and Wynona throw out random countries until they say Botswana.  That’s one way to do it.

So it appears I was wrong since all the teams are on the same flight so it is an even playing field in Maun.  Team YouTube tries to say they picked Chuck and Wynona because they didn’t know who was behind them so picked at random. They could have been honest and just said that they knew the Old Timers were behind them.  The Besties also lie by saying they U-Turned Team YouTube because they are a fast team.

Once the teams reach Maun it’s a mad rush to Mack Air where Team Hockey and Stealing Angels get the first flight, Newlyweds, and Team YouTube on the second flight. The third flight is the Old Timers, the Besties, and the Derby Moms.  Chuck and Wynona are nervous being on the last flight because they needed the advantage to keep up with the other teams.

The showmance between Stealing Angels and Team Hockey seems to be growing as they are on the first flight together.  The second flight seems a lot more awkward with Team YouTube and the Newlyweds not really talking. They even comment on how they could have enjoyed the flight more with another team. On the third flight we are treated to Chuck marveling on how they are where the Lion King was made. This made me stop and think about it until the Besties and Derby Moms started laughing and ensured themselves that Chuck knew Lion King was a cartoon.

The first flight lands and teams must drive down a road to find their next clue. They are followed in succession with the other two flights. Team Hockey and Stealing Angels drive up to a line of Bushman. Of course I am pretty sure if the line of Bushman weren`t there Bates would have kept driving forever since he is horrible at finding signs and turn offs.

They find the next clue and it is the Roadblock. One person will pick a Bushman who will lead them to a Scorpion hole where they will be taught to dig out the scorpion. They must then hold the scorpion and then they will then be taken to their next clue.

Bates and Caroline do the Roadblock and Caroline`s team runs into a lion and the Bushman climbs a tree to take a look.  The Newlyweds and Team YouTube arrive and Joey and Max head out. Joey is freaking out about holding the Scorpion. Wait until he actually has to dig it out and actually hold it.

Bates easily holds the Scorpion and is amazed at the Bushman playing with it. Anthony says he wouldn`t mind being pinched by a country singer. When  Bates gets back the next clue says they must take their Bushman for a ride and they load the three into the back of the SUV. The Bushman then proceed to tell them to driver faster and go straight.

Has Caroline finishes up as the Derby Moms, Besties, and Old Timers are heading out with their Bushman. Since Chuck has already done five roadblocks Wynona goes out for the task. The Derby Moms find a scorpion next followed by Max. The reactions of the players as the Bushman put the scorpions into the mouths are hilarious.

Derby Moms and the Newlyweds are driving down the road with their Bushman. As they are driving off Meghan wonders were Joey is since the Derby Moms arrived after them and Max got back. We are then treated to Joey freaking out as he finds a scorpion. TGoo bad he didn`t have a glove like Max.

It`s kind of funny watching him freak out about touching it as the Bushman are easily placing it in their mouth.

The Hockey Players arrive at the next clue and it is time for the Detour:

  • Fire: Teams will walk to a village with the Bushman and learn to make a fire using two sticks and other minor supplies like elephant poo and then light an elder`s pipe.
  • Fowl: Teams must work with Bushman to create a trap that would to catch an animal.

The Hockey Players choose fire and head off with their new friends. The Stealing Angels also choose fire and both teams are taught animal calls as they walk.

Elsewhere Joey arrives back and they drive off, Joey comment about how he`s a Scorpion King warrior but the Bushman laugh about how scared he was. Winnie and Wynona are still digging. Wynona is instructed in the proper way to dig or she will kill the scorpion.

Over at the village the hockey players watch the Bushman start the fire as the country girls arrive. We are then reminded why we dislike the Newlyweds as they are the only team to lament the smell of the Bushman while the other teams enjoy the interaction.

At the Roadblock the last two teams finish and are driving off with the Old Timers in last. At the detour Bates and Anthony are able to start the fire and light the pipe. They are then off with the Bushman to the pit stop. Before leaving they try to help the country girls with the method to get it started. Derby Moms arrive to do fire as YouTube decides to do fire as well.

Team Hockey finish in first and they win a trip for two to Thailand for five nights. They are happy to be at the front of the pack again. Team YouTube join the other teams at fire. This seems like it was a perfect challenge for Team Hockey but the other teams should have done Fowl because fire needs too much speed and teamwork. The Besties and Old Timers both choose fowl. Meanwhile the other tribes are all considering switching.

The Besties are worried when Chuck and Wynona arrive they are worried they figure Chuck has built snares before.  The Stealing Angels decide to switch and it is a domino effect as Team YouTube and Stealing Angels follow but the Newlyweds decided to try a bit longer.

As the Old Timers get started working the Besties finish and are off. The Newlyweds then decide that they need to switch or risk being eliminated. I thought they should have left when the other teams did rather than risk falling behind at a challenge that they were having little success doing.

The Old Timers are worried they are in last as the other teams arrive. The teams are getting started as the Old Timers finish up.

Team Besties finish in second and they are followed by The Old Timers in third. Team YouTube finish the task next followed by the Country Girls. Team YouTube finish in fourth and the Stealing Angels in fifth.

The Newlyweds are having trouble finishing the task as the Derby Moms finish and head out. For some crazy reason the Derby Moms decide to head toward the cars even through the clue clearly says to make their way on foot. CBS uses some cleaver editing to make it look like a foot race but The Derby Moms finish in sixth.

And just when I`m cheering the downfall of the Newlyweds Phil breaks my heart by announcing it is a non-elimination leg. This pissed me off that we had back to back non-elimination legs but then I remembered that we did lose Team Kickass last week so technically it was not a non-elimination round. I just really wanted the Newlyweds gone.

It was a straight forward episode. Not a lot of drama but still entertaining with the Bushman having a major role. I figure this was because the producers didn`t trust the teams to wander around on their own. It was a smart decision as the Bushman had some entertaining moments.

Next week Chuck and Wynona are having issues steering a canoe and we will be treated to what looks like a donkey race between Team YouTube and the Newlyweds. Looking forward to it.