Mistakes Abound! Don't Forget Your Coconuts!

Wow, just .... wow. It seems that some of the teams were trying their hardest to see who could screw up the most! This time, they read the clues, but their execution was lacking:

Michael & Louie leave first from the Pit Stop but big deal, all the teams will be on the same flight. They will fly to an island called Mahe in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, and because the islands are so remote, flights are scarce. Once there, teams will have to find a kiosk with a clue box and numbers. Michael & Louie talk about not making mistakes and paying attention - which probably means that they’re going to make a huge mistake. Jet & Cord laugh about not knowing where they’re going, “but we’ll find it” and check a map to find out it’s an island. Cord quips that “it’s lucky we’re not driving.” At the airport, the Cowboys and Detectives decide to get a bite to eat before the flight and while they’re in the restaurant, the other teams get checked in and get seating assignments, with Brent & Caite getting row 7 seats, Steve & Allie getting row 10, and Dan & Jordan scoring some row 15 seats. Carol & Brandy don’t ask for seats close to the front of the plane, and it’s obvious that the Detectives & Cowboys didn’t either, because the close-to-the-front teams get to the kiosk first and get the first three numbers. The clue tells them that the first three teams will get to leave on helicopters one hour before the 4, 5 and 6 teams to the island of La Digue, where they will find their next clue. Brent & Caite are first with Steve & Allie and Dan & Jordan rounding out the top three. The view is breathtaking! Dan & Jordan get up close and personal with a rainbow during their flight. Caite keeps up her vendetta against Carol & Brandy, saying she “just wants to get those mean lesbians out.”

Brent & Caite land and get their clue, which is a Detour: Ox Trot or Turtle Toddle. In Ox Trot, teams will have to take an ox cart to an area with piles of coconuts, and fill the cart with a pile. Phil says “without losing any cargo.” (Uh oh! Someone is going to miss a few coconuts!) They will then get hooked up with an ox, and they must ride the cart and guide the ox to the harbor area and a fruit vendor to get their next clue. For Turtle Toddle, teams will use a banana to lure a 100-year-old turtle across a marked area of the lawn. They must then grab a bunch of bananas and deliver them on foot to the fruit vendor, which is 1½ miles away.

Brent & Caite head off to Ox Trot, while Steve & Allie decide to do the Turtle Toddle. Dan & Jordan run off for the Ox challenge as well. And here it is .... Caite throws some coconuts in the cart and one bounces out onto the ground. We see multiple shots of that lone coconut sitting on the grass with menacing music. As they drive their ox down the road, Brent & Caite argue, calling each other “dummy” and “frickin’ idiot.” (And I agree, wholeheartedly!) In the meantime, Steve & Allie find a pretty quick turtle, as turtles go, grab their bananas and head off to the fruit vendor, leaving their backpacks behind. They pass Brent & Caite on the road, who are trying to get their ox to move and the ox looks like he’d like to pound them both. Dan & Jordan are loading their cart and paying attention, making sure all their coconuts stay in the cart. They jump on the cart, ready to take off, and the ox decides it’s time to take a dump, which annoys Jordan to no end. The ox takes off and almost runs and the brothers decide to name the ox “Box” in honor of their father, who owns a packaging company making boxes for a living.

The second set of helicopters land and Carol & Brandy take off to the Turtle Toddle, finding a turtle who doesn’t seem real interested in a banana, or moving, or anything. Michael & Louie and Jet & Cord work hard filling their carts with coconuts.

Steve & Allie have delivered their bananas and get their clue, telling them to swim to a marked schooner which will take them to St. Pierre Island, where they will get their next clue. They get to the boat as we see Dan & Jordan pass Brent & Caite on the road. Jordan looks at the back of the ox and says “ooh, ooh, that’s a wet one, don’t swing your tail.” (He really cracks me up sometimes). Brent & Caite show up right after Dan & Jordan get their clue, but the clue-giver tells them that they don’t have enough coconuts in their cart. No matter how they protest, they’re not getting a clue. Out on the boat, Steve & Allie see Dan & Jordan reach the beach and both have their backpacks, and they’re hit with a sudden panic attack. Steve says they have their small pack with their money and passports, but Allie “can’t go on” without her backpack. Steve asks her if she wants to go back for it. Brent & Caite are at the fruit vendor, where Brent is having a hissy fit worthy of any snotty female, saying “I quit. I quit, whatever.” He doesn’t want to drive the ox cart back to pick up the dropped coconut.

On the boat, Allie is going to miss her makeup, hair brush and extra clothes. Steve tells her she doesn’t know how pretty she is and doesn’t need makeup. (He’s trying to not go back for the backpacks, but it’s a nice thing to say anyway). Neither of them are wearing shoes on the boat, I’m assuming they have those with them because while I suppose you can live without a change of clothes, you cannot run the Amazing Race without shoes!!! Allie finally lets go of the backpack notion and says “it’ll make us faster, that’s for sure.” Dan & Jordan get to the boat and take off, noting how beautiful the scenery is.

Brent & Caite quit whining and jump back on the ox cart to go back and get the coconut. Michael & Louie get their cart filled and take off (with one coconut looking like it’s ready to fall out of the side - will that end up making a difference?) Carol & Brandy get their turtle moving but it takes off in the wrong direction because they’re too afraid to get close enough to the turtle’s face to let him smell the banana.

Out in the water, Allie spots a small buoy with a Race flag on it and they stop for the clue. Phil tells us that the waters there are known for shipwrecks and treasure hunters are always looking for buried treasure. One team member will have to go underwater and search for a submerged case with seven bottles. They will untie one bottle and bring it to the surface. Back on the shore, they will then work together to assemble a map and follow the map to - the Pit Stop! Steve doesn’t even use the supplied goggles or flippers to dive in and find the bottle. As they leave, Dan & Jordan show up and Jordan decides to try the task. It takes Jordan three dives to get the bottle up to the surface, showing me that Steve may be older, but old guys rule sometimes!

Michael & Louie cross paths with Brent & Caite and find out the dating couple have to go back for a coconut they missed. Michael hopes they didn’t drop any on the way. Once they get back, Brent & Caite find the one coconut they left behind. Carol & Brandy give up on their turtle, who refuses to go in the proper direction, and run off to the Ox Trot and start filling a cart as Jet & Cord leave with their full (or so they think) cart. They left one behind. (This after seeing Brent & Caite come back for the one they missed, and talking about how they need to make sure they have all their coconuts! I really thought the Cowboys were smarter than this....tsk, tsk). Carol & Brandy realize they are in last place and hustle loading the coconuts, but Brandy ends up tossing a coconut and hitting Carol. Steve & Allie swim to the shore, expecting to see Phil but having to empty their bottle and put its contents together first, giving them a map to the Mat. They make it to the Mat and Phil looks amused when they tell him they have no backpacks or clothes. Dan & Jordan get to the Mat in second place.

Michael & Louie get to the fruit vendor and get their clue. Brent & Caite are plodding down the road, saying that they’re still ahead of the Cowboys - until the Cowboys come and pass them up. Somehow Brent & Caite manage to pass up Jet & Cord again, get to the vendor and get their clue. Unfortunately, Jet & Cord are told they don’t have enough coconuts and have to go back. Cord wanted to “grab him by the collar and tell him that we did have enough, but that’s probably against the rules.” Carol & Brandy take off, leaving a coconut behind as well. (I’m finally getting to the realization that in the Amazing Race, the things that sink teams are not the big mistakes, but the little ones. How hard would it be to look back as you drive away at 3 MPH in an ox cart, and check to make sure there are no coconuts left behind?)

Brent & Caite are on the boat where Caite says she’s happy they got wet, “I was feeling kinda dirty.” They’re on Michael & Louie’s tail, and the Detectives’ boat is sputtering and allowing them to catch up. Carol & Brandy get to the fruit vendor and are told they didn’t load all their coconuts. Talk about highs and lows - Brent & Caite thought they were doing great, then were worried about screwing up and falling too far behind, then realized they were still in a good spot. Carol & Brandy, knowing they were in last place, see the Cowboys going back and rejoice that they’ve got a shot - until they’re told they have to go back. The Cowboys are bummed that they are in last place, until they’ll see Carol & Brandy coming back. OH! The emotional turmoil this Race causes!!

As Carol & Brandy go back, Carol tells Brandy that some coconuts must have fallen out as Brandy was tossing them over the cart, basically blaming Brandy and setting Brandy off. Bicker, bicker, “oh, it’s my fault?” Brent & Caite reach the buoy and Caite asks Brent what it is, and he says “a dingy.” Brent grabs it on the first try, and the Detectives pull up and see them leaving. Michael dives in, gets the bottle, and drops it over the side of the boat getting back in, breaking it. They wisely don’t mess with its contents, saying they will check it out when they get to shore. No penalties for them! Jet & Cord see Carol & Brandy coming back and realize there’s still hope. They get their clue and head to the beach and start stripping, and we see some really cute gray knee socks on Jet. There’s a little banter about not swimming in jeans but that their suits are a happy medium between jeans and Speedos. (Okay, guys, you’re fit, but let’s not get carried away!)

Louie is having problems swimming back to the shore, but get there shortly after Brent & Caite. Brent & Caite have put their map together and tell the Detectives that they can all go together, thinking that they’d rather keep the Detectives and get rid of “some other teams.” (Read: Carol & Brandy). As they get to the Mat, Phil laughs and tells Louie “By the end of this Race, you may be thin.” Louie shows off his guns, which are pretty impressive, actually. He gets rid of the gut, he’d be a fine specimen! In a surprising continuing conversation, Phil asks Michael & Louie who’d they like to be with at the end of the Race, and they say Brent & Caite. “And who would you like to see gone?” asks Phil - and they say Carol & Brandy, because they’ve got chips on their shoulders and are negative people. “If you want to be negative, go somewhere else.” Brent & Caite chime in, saying that the lesbian couple is “mean and rude” and they’re the team taht should go next. Brent, ever the genius (NOT), says “from what I heard, it’s pretty anonymous. Throughout all the other teams.” Phil has no clue what he just said, but catches on and lets Brent know he should have said “Unanimous.”

Jet & Cord make it to the Mat in fifth place, but when Phil asks them how they knew where the Pit Stop was, they told Phil they just guessed. Phil asked if they didn’t notice something was in the bottle, and the brothers said yes, but it was hard getting it out. They realized that they left the bottle on the boat, and Phil tells them that in order to be checked in, they must retrieve the bottle and bring its contents to shore. (I guess if a team hasn’t screwed something up this leg, it’s just not a Race!) They ran off to swim the 300 yards or so back to the boat as Carol & Brandy’s boat putters close. Carol & Brandy swim to the shore and put their map together, but still can’t find the path to the Mat and wander around a bit. Jet & Cord, since they know where the Mat is, take off in the proper direction, and of course, with proper editing it looks like it’s a footrace to the finish! But Carol & Brandy get there first (with time to spare, it seems). Jet & Cord are told by Phil that they are last, but the next leg of the Race “will be a tough one.” It’s a non-elimination leg this time, but they’ll have a Speed Bump the next leg.

In their interview, Jet & Cord banter about how a champion isn’t the one who’s ridden the most bulls, but the one who gets bucked off and gets back up to try again. Jet tells Cord “you should write a country song.” I like their attitude, as well as Michael & Louie’s. Those two teams seem to be the most together, just working and not blaming each other when stuff goes wrong.

So here is the order of finish:

1 - Steve & Allie
2 - Dan & Jordan
3 - Brent & Caite
4 - Michael & Louie
5 - Carol & Brandy
6 - Jet & Cord - but not eliminated!

The preview for next week’s show looks like our Cowboys are having mega problems. Will they be able to get back on the bull and get it together? Who goes home next? We’ll find out next week!