"Unfinished Business" - Let the Race Begin!

11 of our favorite non-winning teams from seasons past (actually, seasons 12, 14, 16 and 17) are back this season for some "unfinished business." Kynt & Vixsyn and Ronald & Christina from season 12, Jaime & Cara, Margie & Luke, Kesha & Jen, Mel & Mike and Kris & Amanda from season 14. Season 15 veterans are Flight Time & Big Easy and Zev & Justin, and Jet & Cord are the lone team from season 16. Gary & Mallory will round out the field, doing 2 Amazing Races in a row. Can either Jet & Cord, Jaime & Cara or Ron & Christina pass up their 2nd-place finish in their season to take the million bucks this time around?

This season’s Amazing Race begins in Palm Springs, California, the 2nd-windiest place on earth. We see the teams gathered in the middle of a windmill field, wind blasting, and everyone is shivering. Phil starts explaining the new twists to the 11 teams waiting to take off, saying that the first team to check in on the first leg of Race gets an Express Pass, which will enable them to skip any task during the Race that they wish.

Zev & Justin are wearing Harlem Globetrotters t-shirts - they were in the same Race together, I guess they’re planning on teaming up with the basketballers again like they did the first time. This may be interesting, having some teams from the same seasons helping each other out....

To begin, the teams have to go across the road and “look for something in the desert” and bring it back to Phil for their clue. The first 8 teams to do so will be on the first flight out of town; the rest of the teams will be on a second flight landing about 1½ hours later. AND the last team to finish this task will receive an automatic U-Turn, requiring them to do both Detours on the first Detour of the Race. Phil tells them they’re looking for Queensland and Northern Territories Arial Services (Qantas, the Australian airlines). And then, of course, Phil has to begin their journey:

“The world is waiting for you. Good luck. Travel safe. GO!”

Running to the field of paper airplanes on sticks with various airline names written on them, Christina tells Ron that it’s Qantas that they’re looking for (after they take a PanAm flag to Phil and find out they’re wrong). Mel & Mike find a Qantas, followed by Zev & Justin and Jet & Cord. They find out they’ll be flying to Australia, and Cord tells us that “it’s a fantastic opportunity...again, again.”

In the meantime, Christina yells to her Dad that they’re looking for Qantas, helping out the other teams. They find the correct flag, followed by the Globetrotters, Margie & Luke and Jaime & Cara, which makes up the first flight teams.

Kesha & Jen are the first team on the 2nd flight, leaving Gary & Mallory and Kris & Amanda fumbling around in the field. Gary & Mallory manage to beat Kris & Amanda to Phil, leaving Kris & Amanda stuck with the U-Turn on the first leg.

The first flight is forced to land in Hawaii because of a man having a heart attack, evaporating their 90-minute lead. At least Big Easy mentions that “it’s good that the man was all right” rather than complain about the forced stop.

The teams will land in Sydney, take a train to Sydney Harbor and take a ferry to Manly Ocean World. The second flight teams found out from Mallory that the first flight had to land, although Kesha tells Mallory “I think you’re lying.” Mallory laughs and says “You’ve been to Kentucky, you know we don’t lie there.”

The first flight finally lands, and seven teams get on the train but Ron & Christina just miss it. On the beach, Gary & Mallory get to the clue box first and find a Roadblock: “Who wants to tank it?” Then we see sharks swimming.....that’s a way to eliminate some teams, let the sharks eat ‘em! Phil explains that team members will have to search for a compass in a million-and-a-half-gallon tank full of sharks and stingrays (as big as a queen-sized bed, no less!) Once they find the compass, they will have to decipher a sentence using flags hung outside, which will tell them they have to go to the Manly 16 Ft. Skiff Sailing Club, find the commodore, and tell him a secret phrase (“I am between the devil and the deep blue sea”) to get their next clue. Kesha volunteers, remembering Jen’s problems in their first Race with swimming. Amanda and Mallory are also doing this task.

On the ferry, Kynt says “We’re going to Manly!” Vyxsin adds “where he’ll fit right in!” Ha! They’re cute. Jaime & Cara are loving the scenery and saying they wouldn’t trade it for anything “except an Express Pass.”

Mallory and Amanda find the compasses and make their way out of the tank as we see Ronald & Christina catch up at the ferry with Mike & Mel, and end up leaving the Harbor first. Jet & Cord are close behind but miss the boat, and realize that they’re the last team. Mallory sits with her compass to figure out the phrases, and as Amanda joins her, Kris gives her the kiss of death by saying “Amanda is good at word puzzles.” Mallory finishes and they ask for directions to the Skiff Club. Justin, Margie, Flight Time and Cara find their compasses. It seems that the team members that don’t do the task are more freaked out by it. Jet tells us “I’m from Oklahoma, I don’t do water. I don’t even take baths.” (I'm hoping that means he at least takes showers!)

Gary & Mallory get their clue from the Commodore and find out they must sail a 16-foot skiff to a marked buoy that has a clue attached. They get a quick lesson on the beach and take off with a couple of sailors. Back at the flags, Amanda ends up working with Kesha, and they dash off to find the Commodore. Jaime tells Cara to work with Margie, and mentions that they’re back to working with Margie & Luke like they did on the last Race, and “we really care about them.” Gary & Mallory’s skiff is getting to the buoy, and Gary leans out as they pass to grab the clue, hanging by a set of wires. Back on land, the open the clue to find they must go to the Pit Stop, which is Shelly Beach, a hot surfing spot. Phil is wearing a Crocodile Dundee hat and looks quite dapper!

Vyxsin is having problems getting out of the tank, because she’s panicking a little and finding it hard to breathe correctly. To help herself she thought about Kynt’s Dad, who passed away suddenly, telling herself “it’s for Dad.”

Gary & Mallory are running toward the beach, and we see Kris & Amanda close behind, desperately wanting to get the Express Pass. It’s not to be as Gary & Mallory get to Phil and the surfer dude first. Phil gives them the Express Pass - and another clue, telling them to open and read it right there because they’re still racing. Mallory is standing there and chattering, so Phil has to tell her “stop talking and go!” Kris & Amanda meet Phil and get their clue, and Kesha & Jen are third to the Mat.

Margie & Luke get to the Commodore followed by Cara & Jaime, and find out their secret phrase is wrong by saying “I am the devil and the deep blue sea.” Flight Time and Big Easy don’t finish the puzzle so they don’t get too far behind, and catch Justin as he leaves the Commodore, asking him what the phrase is. They yell “I owe you one!” and Justin agrees - we’ll see how that pans out later in the Race. Margie & Luke and Jaime & Cara hope to overhear what Flight Time tells the Commodore, but he whispers it so the two wrong teams head back. They ask Justin if he can help them out, and he says “no, we already helped somebody.” Justin says he doesn’t know them from a hole in the wall, so it was easy not to help them.

Mike and Christina are helping each other and meet up with Margie & Luke and Jaime & Cara as they leave. They offer to tell them the correct phrase if they help them find the Commodore, and they’ll all just tell him together.

Jet thinks he has what he needs and takes off but they get to the Commodore and find out they need more. Vyxsin tells us that she figured she had enough, so off they went. Jet & Cord go back to re-figure, and Kynt & Vyxsin pass Margie & Luke, who tell them the correct phrase. Jaime & Cara’s skiff ends up tipping over, leaving them hanging from the boat “like shark bait.”

Zev & Justin get to Phil and get their next clue, as do Flight Time & Big Easy. Everyone is exhausted and are surprised they’re still racing. Jet & Cord give the phrase another stab, and are still wrong. Kynt & Vyxsin get to Phil and he tells them “I have some bad news.” Vyxsin hangs her head and asks “what did we do wrong?” Phil says “you’re still racing” and Vyxsin doesn’t think that’s bad news at all. Phil tells them they’re way behind so they have to get moving. In the meantime, Cord is still having great problems at the flags and I guess this makes up for the Roadblock from their Race, where they had to rope something. Give the Cowboys a mental challenge and it stops them dead in their tracks!

The hour is up and we don’t see what comes next ... it will be continued next week! So after Gary & Mallory’s sixth-place finish last season, does seeing them make first give you hope? Jet & Cord just missed out on winning their Race, and now it seems they’ll be lucky to make it past the first Leg of this one. Does all the cooperation between some teams make you think it will help or hurt in the long run? Looks to be a good Race, at least!