TVSquad

(S12E07) My, it seems like it's been a long time since the last episode of The Amazing Race. Last week's Survivor finale bumped it and the holidays seem to be taking a toll, too. However, tonight's show was indeed worth the wait.

A new twist, a couple of wrong turns, a surprise or two, and ink where you least expect it. But, of course, I won't get to the real skinny until after the jump. I could talk about the weather to fill the pre-jump space. The weather here is windy and rainy. The weather on the race tonight looked splendid.

There. On with the show.

This time, as the teams left their Croatian Pit Stop, I noticed that it wasn't as tight a pack as it was last week. Ronald and Christina left at 2:19 AM while the last team, Donald and Nicolas, left at 7:06 AM. A five hour gap sometimes makes a difference. Due to a bunching point it didn't, but it might have provided the incentive to do whatever it takes to gain time later on.

The teams had to take a bus to Split, Croatia. Yeah, it's really Split. An odd name for a town, but then New Jersey has a town named Ho-Ho-Kus, so who am I to judge? While all the teams didn't make the first bus, they all made the first ferry which would take them on to Ancona, Italy.

The ferry gave the teams time to rest a bit and, more importantly, Kynt and Vyxsin got their chance to really work on their makeup. That is a priority for them and they've been too busy racing to pay the proper attention to it.

I have to say that Vyxsin looks okay without her makeup, but Kynt gets all washed out looking and his eyebrows get all funky-looking. Gosh, what a high maintenance Goth!

Once they hit Italy, the teams had to drive to Empoli and they were issued a product placement Blackberry. They couldn't use the Blackberry for anything but to receive a message from home. Unless they drastically edited the messages, it sounded like only one member of each team received one. What's up with that? Since they're only racing for about 30 days and are kept so busy, product placement seems the reason for it all.

As per the norm, some teams got lost. There was a huge traffic jam which made the best navigation and directions a lesson in futility. Donald and Nicolas chose to await the opening of the road at 6 AM. Would it be their undoing? TK and Rachel realized that they left their clue when they stopped for directions and had to go back to retrieve it. A woman thought she had a nifty souvenir, but readily handed it back to them. Would that cost them the race? Kynt and Vyxsin got totally lost and freaked a bit at each other (although not as horrible as the promos had them fighting). Would that unravel my favorite Goth team?

Alas, my least favorite team -- Nathan and Jennifer -- arrived at the airstrip first, followed by TK and Rachel, then Ronald and Christina. They had to take numbers for a 7 AM opening and then faced a Roadblock which had one member of the team go up in an ultra-light plane flying over the Tuscany landscape seeking a clue word. The teams also had the chance to go for the Fast Forward, but Nathan didn't want to risk it despite Jennifer's fussing about never getting first place. Oh, please make them not win this race! Please!

But you know a Fast Forward is too much of a temptation for all the teams to resist, right? Donald and Nicolas started out last from the Pit Stop, plus lost time waiting for the road to reopen. How bad could it be? They had to head tp Fabio Studio to find out. Uh-oh. For all of his gruffness, guess what Donald didn't have but has now? A tattoo!

I couldn't believe how he hesitated. For a moment, Nicolas looked crushed as he thought his grandfather wouldn't do it. Heck, I don't have any tattoos (nor do I plan any), but I'd take a little FF for Fast Forward if I were there. Going back to complete the Roadblock might mean losing the race. So, they did it. And, they went on to the Pit Stop at Boboli Gardens in Florence where they took first place, winning a trip to Cancun.

Back at the airstrip, all of the teams, however they straggled in, were finding the clue word VINCI in the grass from the plane. All except poor TK, that is. Now, TK and Rachel are my second favorite team left in the race. I watched as Nathan (grr) found the clue, Christina, even a very late arriving Vyxsin. Oh, no! My two favorite teams are running neck and neck for last place and it was said pre-season that there would be no non-elimination legs!

TK finally found it on his fourth try. Finally.

But the other teams were already headed to DaVinci, the birthplace of Leonardo DaVinci. Once there, they faced a Detour. Well, Donald and Nicolas were already resting at the Pit Stop, but I'm talking the other teams. Well, okay. I'm talking Nathan and Jennifer and Ronald and Christina. I'm not talking about Kynt and Vyxsin because they got lost once again! Argh, Goth Energizer bunnies, get your stride going again!

The Detour was a choice between Invention and Tradition. Invention had the teams put together a replica of a DaVinci crane to lift a large stone a foot off the ground, then place a mirror under it to read the clue under the stone. In Tradition, teams had to learn a traditional flag ceremony. Most teams chose the flags and Nathan actually listened to Jennifer's direction on the task. Oh, I still think they're so not a good couple, but he didn't scoff at her and she didn't whine.

TK and Rachel chose the Invention task and did well with it despite their extremely long time spent at the Roadblock. And, as I mentioned, Kynt and Vyxsin got lost and stressed out at each other. But, even so, their words didn't bother me as much as Nathan and Jennifer. Neither of the Goths screamed they hate each other. Once they finally found the flag ceremony place, the Goths made quick work of the task.

Nathan and Jennifer were the second team to arrive at the Pit Stop, with Ronald and Christina arriving third.

Gulp.

My two favorite teams are in a dead heat! One will be eliminated! Not the Goths, not the Goths!

And, then it happened. TK and Rachel took fourth place. But then we found that all of the news about there being no non-elimination legs this season were untrue. There are two non-elims this season according to Phil. And, though I hate them at times, this first non-elim saved my favorite team. I can't whine. Nope, I can't.

But a new twist was introduced with the non-Philimination. In the next leg, Kynt and Vyxsin will face a Speed Bump. That will force them to do an additional task to complete the leg. They won't know when it's coming until they hit it. I think they can do just about anything but find places. I hope they don't have to find some place in the Speed Bump.