Well, we certainly witnessed a few highs and lows as The Amazing Race took the teams to Turin, Italy this week. And just as I predicted, last week’s first place team, Art & JJ, left the Pit Stop at 5:10 PM — almost five hours ahead of second place team Brendon & Rachel and just over seven hours ahead of the last place team — but the dreaded airport equalizer put all teams on a level playing field once again … except for Mark & Bopper, who failed to secure their airline tickets at a travel agent before getting to the airport. Having to go back put them on a flight that was an hour and fifteen minutes behind everyone else which proved to be an insurmountable obstacle throughout the race.
This leg also included a Fast Forward, which Art & JJ decided to tackle in the hopes of remaining in first place by avoiding the rest of the leg. Now, landing a small model helicopter on top of someone’s head is not as easy as it may look and while the other teams completed the task of rappeling down the center of a parking structure, Art & JJ were falling way behind but they managed to pull themselves together, finish the Fast Forward, check in first at the Pit Stop and win $5000 each in the process.
The rest of the leg really required teams to communicate more than do anything physical — look for a Model T at an auto museum, clean a statue, or taste and identify different salamis, not to mention navigating the Italian streets by themselves (I’m so glad no one has had to use a cab yet, even if the driving is just some not-so-subtle product placement) — and while most of the teams stuck together, even in the face of adversity, two teams seemed to have reached their breaking points this week.
The most surprising of the two was Dave & Rachel. Dave’s the military guy, so he should be able to pull himself together when things get rough, but Rachel just seemed to be pushing every one of his buttons. But, while Dave was blaming Rachel for his mood, he was failing to realize that he was basically doing everything wrong and every time she tried to get him on course he took it as an attack, especially when he started driving in the opposite direction from what the locals told him to do. I think they were in a better place by the time they got to the Pit Stop, but it was uncomfortably tense between them for quite some time.
Of course, the other team meltdown was the one that had been expected since the first leg: Brendon & Rachel. Things got bad during the drive to the museum, Rachel lost her mind many times and threatened to quit. Their dysfunction put them behind all of the other teams that were originally at the museum behind them, and they were the last to figure out that the clue to the next location was on the back of the coin they found in the Model T. Brendon was his charming self when Vanessa & Ralph passed them, calling her a “Triflin’ Hoe” behind her back, and then they took the hardest of the Detour tasks just to avoid them. Seriously, if you had the option to wash a statue or taste and identify fourteen different types of salami, would you avoid the easier task, spiting yourself in the process? Of course, identifying salami didn’t come as easily to Rachel as it should have, and after several tries Kerry & Stacy caught up to them from next to last place.
In the end, Brendon & Rachel finally finished in sixth (with Rachel yelling “DiGiorno” on the mat, and Phil giving her the stink eye), Kerry & Stacy completed the task in one try and came in seventh which left country boys Mark & Bopper in dead last. We learned earlier that Bopper was running the race to help his daughter who is on seven different types of medication, and it was heartbreaking to see them arrive last on the mat. We got one of the show’s highest of highs as Art & JJ approached them and offered to split their $10,000 with Bopper … and then Phil dropped the bomb — this is a non-elimination round! The offer for the money stood, and Bopper said he would return the favor if he and Mark find themselves in the same position. I was ready to see these guys go home the first week, but we’ve seen Bopper in a different light now. While he can be a bit loud and annoying, we’ve also seen him wear his heart on his sleeve and know that he has a reason to run the race. How can you not root for them now?
Are you happy Mark & Bopper were saved by the non-elimination leg? Did Art & JJ do the right thing? Do you wish Brendon & Rachel had called it quits? Sound off in the comments section below!
Clacked by Chuck Duncan 
on Mar 11, 2012 @ 22:37 EST5EDT
“Of course, identify salami didn’t come as easily to Rachel as it should have…” That comes across as a pretty crass comment, in very many ways.
Rachel was insecure and out of control, and Brendan was surprisingly supportive and undouchey.
The Rangers were unfathomably sweet. They have become my favorites. And I hope Vanessa and Ralph keep on keeping on. She’s hilarious and they come across as a very healthy couple. Comedy, minor freak-outs, and support.
Dave really surprised me. I think Rachel mentioned in the last episode how they haven’t actually spent that much time together because he’s always in service, and I think this episode really showed that. Rachel was trying to communicate and Dave took it as an attack. Rachel continued to try to be positive and constructive, but Dave just kind of lost it a little bit. I don’t see their marriage lasting long after this adventure, which is sad.
*POST AUTHOR*
You’re right about the comment. I thought Rachel had made her own comment about being able to identify the salami, but I undeleted the episode and she actually said she only knew salami was on pizza and she liked pizza, so in my head while I was furiously taking notes, I misheard and misremembered what was said (and I believe Vanessa was the one who suggested that the green team was going to be tasting the salamis). My bad, and I apologize.
I love Rachel and don’t mind her dramatics much, but she needs to focus more when things get tough and not have a breakdown every time the pressure is on. She is a good competitor and Brendan and her have kept the pace this whole time. She just needs to stay more focused on what she’s doing and save the meltdown for later on in her bathroom after the pit stop. I don’t like how people side mainly with Brendan. We know from BB, he’s very controlling and arrogant and he did start off tonight’s dysfunction by taking his stress out on her while parking the car (although the car parked itself). It was interesting to see how he freaks out when he’s not in control and isn’t sure of himself and I don’t like that everyone just blames Rachel. When he yelled at her in the car to stop yelling at him (when she wasn’t what I could consider yelling), it was only because he didn’t know what he was doing; nothing to do with Rachel. She just deteriorated from there – which I must admit had me laughing at times – not at her, per se, but because she really doesn’t need to be having a meltdown every time the heat is on. I hope they go far, unlike the other people on the web have been saying. I enjoy watching their antics and I find it amusing. I’m not so sure about them getting married anytime soon though.
Overall, the best thing about this episode was Art and JJ giving away their money to Bopper to help out his sick daughter. That was very touching and unexpected and selfless. It’s nice to know there are still people out there like that.
*POST AUTHOR*
I’m no fan of Brendon, but Rachel was yelling at him to park the car before he got upset with her, and then he tried to calm her down several times, then she lost it at the salami stand while he was being very nice to her and telling her it was okay before he had enough and said they were out of the race. But, you’re right, he can be very controlling of her but she seemed to be melting down more tonight out of frustration than anything else, and the whole rivalry with Vanessa and Ralph. They both need to focus on themselves and forget what the other teams are saying and doing. But as we saw on Big Brother, Rachel could run this race herself and completely keep it together and win. Two Type-A personalities just don’t work well together because they’re both always going to be right.
The problem with Rachel is (and always has been) that she is EXTREMELY immature. When things are going her way, she’s fine, but as soon as she faces any adversity, she turns into a monster. This goes for what I’ve seen of her on both BB and the race.
I think Dave and Brendon should switch Rachels and all 4 would have a much better life since Dave don’t actually listen to his wife and Rachel don’t listen to her husband. Then maybe Brendon and blonde Rachel would have a chance at happiness!