The Amazing Race 33 Recap – Premiere Live Blog

A new season of The Amazing Race airs tonight on CBS. Read a live recap and join the discussion here.

The episode begins with Phil Keoghan informing viewers that the first two legs were taped before the outbreak of COVID-19. The season was forced to shut down, but they managed to come back and finish the race. Afterwards, we cut to scenes of the teams receiving a video message from Phil. He tells them their first destination: London, England. They must get on a flight and find their next clue at Trafalgar Square. The teams are excited as they say bye to their families, get into taxis, and make their way to the airport.

Let’s meet some of the teams. Akbar & Sheridan are married educators who help out their community. They received a donation from Oprah Winfrey. Anthony & Spencer are friends who stopped a terrorist attack on a train in 2015. Raquel & Cayla are friends who work as flight attendants. Ryan & Dusty are childhood friends. Ryan was wrongfully convicted of a crime and spent several years in jail. Arun & Natalia are a father and daughter team and super fans of The Amazing Race. Connie & Sam have been married for eight years. Sam is a high school football coach, and they brought a star quarterback into their family.

The teams land in London and get into taxis to make their way to Trafalgar Square. It’s already nightfall when they reach the square. All teams must approach a man in a telephone booth costume to get their next clue. However, each man only has a limited amount of clues. If they approach a costumed man with no more clues, then they must find another one. Raquel & Cayla are the first to get a clue. They must race to Buckingham Palace. They get there first and open their next clue. They learn they have a Detour to complete: Artist Den or Digiben. Artist Den requires teams to post a piece of original street artwork. Digiben requires teams to find a bobby (British policeman), Little Ben, and Digiben. As teams make their way to their chosen Detour, Connie & Sam are struggling and way behind the other teams. Lulu & Lala are also struggling finding Buckingham Palace.

Let’s meet some more teams. Lulu & Lala are identical twins who work as radio hosts. Michael & Moe are friends and work as police officers. Kim & Penn are a married couple who created a viral family comedy video. Ray & Caro met on Love Island and are still dating after seven months. Meanwhile, Anthony & Spencer and Ryan & Dusty are working together on the Digiben Detour. Raquel & Cayla and Akbar & Sheridan are struggling with the Digiben Detour. Raquel & Cayla couldn’t figure out what a bobby is until a woman informed them it’s a policeman. Akbar is getting irritated with Sheridan’s slow pace as they try to find the bobby.  They finally reach Parliament Square and find the bobby. Meanwhile, Ray & Caro and Kim & Penn reach the Artist Den Detour and get started on the task.

Anthony & Spencer and Ryan & Dusty find Little Ben. They must now find Digiben at Piccadilly Circus tube station. Raquel & Cayla are right behind them as they find Little Ben too. Meanwhile, Connie & Sam start searching for the bobby, but they are confused what that is. Akbar & Sheridan are still bickering as they search for Little Ben. Sheridan says this is normal for Akbar since he tends to nag. Back at the Artist Den Detour, Ray & Caro, Kim & Penn, Michael & Moe, Arun & Natalia, and Taylor & Isaiah are struggling with the complicated artwork. We are introduced to Taylor & Isaiah, who are married YouTube sensations.

Anthony & Spencer and Ryan & Dusty find Digiben. They have completed the Detour and must now make their way to The Chipping Forecast. Once there, they will find impersonators of the Queen and Boris Johnson and they will hand them their next clue. Raquel & Cayla still remain behind them. They are in third place as they finish the Detour and make their way to Digiben too. Meanwhile, Connie & Sam finally find the bobby and get their next clue. Akbar & Sheridan are still working on the Digiben Detour while all the other teams are still working on the Artist Den Detour.

Anthony & Spencer and Ryan & Dusty reach the Chipping Forecast. They get their next clue from the Queen and Boris Johnson impersonators. They must race to the Pit Stop next: London’s Natural History Museum. As they get into taxis, Kim & Penn are the first team to complete the Artist Den Detour. Raquel & Cayla also reach the Chipping Forecast and can make their way to the Pit Stop. Ray & Caro are the next team to complete the Artist Den Detour as Akbar & Sheridan finally find Digiben. They must now make their way to the Chipping Forecast. Connie & Sam manage to complete the Digiben Detour too. All the other teams are still at the Artist Den Detour.

It might be a footrace for first place as Anthony & Spencer, Ryan & Dusty, and Raquel & Cayla reach the Natural History Museum at the same time. Anthony & Spencer reach the mat first and are team #1! They won a trip to Turks & Caicos. As they are still on the mat, Ryan & Dusty and Raquel & Cayla reach the mat in second and third place respectively.

Kim & Penn, Ray & Caro, and Akbar & Sheridan reach the Chipping Forecast. They can make their way to the Pit Stop too. Taylor & Isaiah, Michael & Moe, Lula & Lala, and Arun & Natalia are still struggling with the Detour, but Taylor & Isaiah finally complete the task. Arun & Natalia finally complete the task too as Kim & Penn, Ray & Caro, and Akbar & Sheridan reach the Pit Stop. Later, Connie & Sam reach the Pit Stop too. Afterwards, Taylor & Isaiah reach the Pit Stop in eighth place.

It’s now down between Michael & Moe and Lula & Lala. They are both struggling with the artwork they’re pasting onto the wall. Eventually, Michael & Moe complete the task, but Lula & Lala finally complete it not too long afterwards. As they rush to the Pit Stop, Arun & Natalie reach the Pit Stop in ninth place. Although Michael & Moe left the Detour before them, Lula & Lala find the Chipping Forecast first. Michael & Moe realize they are now in last place after they finally get their clue. Both teams make their way to the Natural History Museum, and it’s Lula & Lala who check in as team #10. Michael & Moe arrive afterwards, and Phil gives them the bad news. Michael & Moe have been eliminated from the race.

Leg Summary

1st place: Anthony & Spencer

2nd place: Ryan & Dusty

3rd place: Raquel & Cayla

4th place: Kim & Penn

5th place: Ray & Caro

6th place: Akbar & Sheridan

7th place: Connie & Sam

8th place: Taylor & Isaiah

9th place: Arun & Natalia

10th place: Lula & Lala

Eliminated: Michael & Moe

The next leg will take place in London again, but in the daytime this time. Anthony & Spencer are in first place and read their next clue. They must proceed to Mail Rail. Taxi troubles for Anthony & Spencer allow Ryan & Dusty to arrive at Mail Rail first. They learn they have a Roadblock to complete next. One team member must ride a rail to a loading dock and sort through mail to find an envelope with The Amazing Race logo. Ryan chooses to do the Roadblock, and he completes the task before any other teams show up. He and Dusty must now proceed to Leicester Square. After they leave, Anthony & Spencer and Raquel & Cayla arrive at Mail Rail. Anthony and Raquel choose to do the Roadblock. Other teams arrive after them. It only took Raquel a few seconds until she found her envelope. Anthony finally finds the envelope shortly before Kenn and Ray do. Kenn and Ray are suspicious that they found the envelope so easily. They even psych themselves out to the point that they stay behind instead of boarding the rail back to the entrance with Anthony. They believe there’s more to the task than that.

More teams arrive at Mail Rail as Ryan & Dusty extend their lead. They find the clue box at Leicester Square and learn they have a Detour next. Bullseye, Mate or Decorate. Bullseye, Mate requires teams to hit a bullseye playing darts. Decorate requires teams to decorate cakes. Ray and Penn are still confused as more teams join them. Arun, Connie, and Sheridan find their envelopes, and Ray and Penn finally realize they overthought the task. They all board a rail back to the entrance as Taylor & Isaiah arrive. Taylor completes the task by the time Lula & Lala arrive.

Ryan & Dusty begin playing darts as the rest of the teams are making their way to their chosen Detour tasks. Lula finally finds her clue at the Roadblock too, but she and Lala are way behind the other teams. Raquel & Cayla begin decorating cakes, and each must look like the flag of a country in the European Union. Anthony & Spencer shortly join them. They notice Raquel & Cayla are decorating one of their cakes as Britain’s flag, but Britain is no longer part of the European Union. However, Anthony chooses to do Norway’s flag, but Norway is not in the European Union either. Their cake of the flag of France is correct though.

Ryan & Dusty must now board a double decker bus at Russell Square Metro Station, which is the Pit Stop. They get there first. Ryan & Dusty are team #1!  Meanwhile, Arun & Natalie are struggling with the darts task and are soon joined by Connie & Sam. Neither of them manage to complete the task yet. Meanwhile, Raquel & Cayla and Anthony & Spencer learn they must redo one of their cakes after the initial inspection. Back at the Bullseye, Mate Detour, Connie & Sam finally complete the task. They can now make their way to the Pit Stop. Arun says they should try five more minutes before switching Detours, but they finally get it. They can make their way to the Pit Stop too.

Kim & Penn get their cakes checked, and both cakes are wrong. They also chose Norway, which is not in the European Union. Their other cake is dripping, which also must be redone. Meanwhile, Connie & Sam check in to the Pit Stop as Raquel & Cayla and Anthony & Spencer finally complete their cakes. Both teams can make their way to the Pit Stop too. Lula & Lala finally arrive at the Decorate Detour as the other four teams are still working on their cakes. However, they are still behind as Kim & Penn, Ray & Caro, Akbar & Sheridan complete the task too. They can go to the Pit Stop too.

Arun & Natalia greet Phil as team #3 as Taylor & Isaiah complete the Decorate task. Raquel & Cayla arrive on the double decker bus as team #4 as Lula & Lala finally leave the Decorate Detour in last place. Lula & Lala’s spirits are low, and they are arguing as they make their way to the Pit Stop.

More teams check in at the Pit Stop one after another. Kim & Penn are team #5, Ray & Caro are team #6, Anthony & Spencer are team #7, and Akbar & Sheridan are team #8. Taylor & Isaiah greet Phil as team #9, meaning Lula & Lala are in last place. However, this is a non-elimination leg. Lula & Lala will remain in the race, and Phil tells them they are on their way to Scotland.

Leg Summary

1st place: Ryan & Dusty

2nd place: Connie & Sam

3rd place: Arun & Natalia

4th place: Raquel & Cayla

5th place: Kim & Penn

6th place: Ray & Caro

7th place: Anthony & Spencer

8th place: Akbar & Sheridan

9th place: Taylor & Isaiah

10th place: Lula & Lala

Eliminated: No one

And that wraps up tonight’s season premiere of The Amazing Race. Thanks for reading and come back next week for another live recap.

 

About Steven Curtis 539 Articles
Steven is a graduate of the University of West Florida with a bachelor's degree in communication arts. He enjoys watching reality competition shows, such as American Idol, Survivor, Big Brother, and The Amazing Race.