The Amazing Race 35 Recap – Premiere Live Blog

The season premiere of The Amazing Race 35 airs tonight on CBS. Read a live recap here.

The race begins in front of the Hollywood Sign. There are thirteen teams this season. Rob & Corey are a father and son duo. Rob is deaf. Joe & Ian are an engaged couple. Morgan & Lena are sisters. Liam & Yeremi are brothers. Alexandra & Sheridan are siblings. Andrea & Malaina are friends. Todd & Ashlie are married high school sweethearts. Elizabeth & Iliana are mother and daughter. Greg & John are brothers. Jocelyn & Victor are married. Joel & Garrett are best friends. Robbin & Chelsea are best friends too. Steve & Anna Leigh are father and daughter.

The teams must drive themselves to the Hollywood Historic Hotel. Once there, they have a Roadblock to complete. One team member must cross a tightrope and unscramble a word puzzle. Once completed, they will receive their next clue. The first teams to arrive there are Joe & Ian, Greg & John, and Andrea & Malaina. Joe, Greg, and Andrea do the Roadblock for their teams. More teams arrive soon afterwards, including Robbin & Chelsea, Rob & Corey, Todd & Ashlie, and Jocelyn & Victor. The rest of the teams arrive, except for Alexandra & Sheridan and Elizabeth & Iliana. They are still lost in traffic.

Todd, Rob, Chelsea, and Anna Leigh are the next to attempt the Roadblock. Meanwhile, Greg solved the word puzzle. The letters unscramble to City of Angels. He gets the next clue from last season’s winners Derek & Claire. The clue tells him to travel to Bangkok, Thailand. As he and John leave, Victor, Morgan, and Liam begin the Roadblock. Joe has already crossed the tightrope, but he is struggling with the word puzzle.

Teams agree to help each other with the word puzzle, but Rob solves it by himself. He gets the clue next. After he and Corey can leave, Sheridan and Iliana finally begin the Roadblock. The other teams are all looking up at the word puzzle, unable to figure out that it unscrambles to City of Angels. Eventually, more teams solve the puzzle. Todd shares the answer with everyone else remaining if they let him cut to the front of the line.

All teams make their way to LAX to hopefully get a spot on the first flight to Thailand. They all line up, but only the first six teams get spots on the first flight: Greg & John, Rob & Corey, Jocelyn & Victor, Todd & Ashlie, Andrea & Malaina, and Morgan & Lena. The teams arrive at Bangkok and learn they must proceed to a giant golden statue of Buddha at Wat Paknam.

Morgan & Lena are the first team to find the clue box. They can proceed to Wat Suthat. Before they leave, they have a chance to win an Express Pass. They must find a vendor and each eat a plate of exotic fried insects. They decide to attempt the task as more teams arrive: Andrea & Malaina, Rob & Corey, and Jocelyn & Victor. Morgan & Lena complete the task and earn the Express Pass. More teams arrive, including Greg & John and Todd & Ashlie. Only one team can earn the Express Pass, so no one else can win it after Morgan & Lena completed the task.

Jocelyn & Victor and Rob & Corey are the first teams to board river boats to Wat Suthat. They are followed by the other teams that were on the first flight. Meanwhile, the other teams on the second flight finally land in Bangkok.

Jocelyn & Victor and Rob & Corey learn they have a Detour to complete: Sword Play or Spa Day. Sword Play requires teams to perform a 30 second routine. Spa Day requires teams to experience a thirty minute massage that could be painful. Both teams choose to do Spa Day. Morgan & Lena, Ashlie & Todd, and John & Greg choose Spa Day too. Andrea & Malaina choose Sword Play. Meanwhile, the other teams are on the river boats making their way to the Detour.

Jocelyn & Victor and Rob & Corey are the first teams to complete the Spa Day Detour. They can now make their way to the Pit Stop: Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat. Joe & Ian and Alexandra & Sheridan choose Sword Play. Steve & Anna Leigh choose Spa Day.

Jocelyn & Victor are Team #1! They win a trip to Patagonia. Rob & Corey arrive shortly afterwards as Team #2. Meanwhile, Morgan & Lena and Greg & John complete the Spa Day Detour. Todd & Ashlie have about ten minutes left until they complete the Spa Day Detour. They had to restart after Todd said to stop midway through the massage.

Andrea & Malaina get ready to begin their Sword Play routine, but they fail their first attempt. They decide to switch Detours and do the Spa Day Detour. Meanwhile, the rest of the teams arrive and make their way to the Spa Day Detour. Elizabeth & Iliana are lost as they try to find the Spa Day Detour, putting them in last place.

Greg & John and Morgan & Lena check in at the Pit Stop as Team #3 and Team #4 respectively. Meanwhile, Alexandra & Sheridan and Joe & Ian begin the Sword Play Detour. Elizabeth & Iliana finally find the Spa Day Detour, but all the spots are taken. They must wait for another team to complete their massage, or they can go do the Sword Play Detour instead. Elizabeth wonders if they should do Sword Play since doing nothing is wasting time, but Iliana believes making their way to the other Detour will still take up a lot of time. They decide to stay and wait.

Todd & Ashlie greet Phil as Team #5. Elizabeth & Iliana finally begin their Spa Day massage after several teams walk out after completing theirs. Meanwhile, Steve & Anna Leigh and Joel & Garrett arrive at the Pit Stop as Team #6 and Team #7 respectively.

Joe & Ian completed their Sword Play routine after their first attempt. Alexandra & Sheridan, however, fail after several attempts. Elizabeth & Iliana only have about five minutes left after Alexandra & Sheridan fail their seventh attempt at the routine. Alexandra & Sheridan finally pass, but Elizabeth & Iliana are done with their massages too.

Liam & Yeremi, Joe & Ian, Andrea & Malaina, and Robbin & Chelsea are the next teams to reach the Pit Stop. There will be no non-elimination legs this season, so Elizabeth & Iliana or Alexandra & Sheridan will be eliminated. But which team will avoid elimination this leg?

Elizabeth & Iliana are Team #12. They are shocked to learn they are not in last place. Later, Alexandra & Sheridan arrive and Phil gives them the bad news. Alexandra & Sheridan have been eliminated from the race. They have no regrets and are grateful for the opportunity.

Episode Summary

1st place: Jocelyn & Victor

2nd place: Rob & Corey

3rd place: Greg & John

4th place: Morgan & Lena

5th place: Todd & Ashlie

6th place: Steve & Anna Leigh

7th place: Joel & Garrett

8th place: Liam & Yeremi

9th place: Joe & Ian

10th place: Andrea & Malaina

11th place: Robbin & Chelsea