Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | 991 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT Can You Digue It?
By M. Giant | Season 16 | Episode 7 | Aired on 2010.03.28
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Everyone flies to the island nation of Seychelles, where the Detour is a choice between racing oxcarts full of coconuts or racing tortoises. As simple as it sounds, Miss Team USA screws up by losing a single coconut and Brent announces he's quitting, Steve and Allie leave their backpacks behind, and Carol and Brandy have to switch tasks after being cursed with an intractable reptile. They also make the same mistake Brent and Caite (and the Cowboys) did, which is not a good sign for them because they were already in last place. Up ahead, the Road Block requires racers to dive for a submerged bottle containing a puzzle they have to then carry ashore and assemble into a map. After doing this, the newly unencumbered Steve and Allie win their first leg. When the Detectives and Miss Team USA arrive at the mat together, there's a lot of crap-talking about the lesbians, which Brent claims is "anonymous." But Carol and Brandy catch a break in the form of the Cowboys making another mistake and leaving a clue behind on their way to the mat. They have to swim back for it and make it back to the mat in last place -- but it's a non-elimination leg, so we haven't heard the last of the Heroic Cowboy Theme.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Phil welcomes us to the Champagne region of France, pronouncing it like Christopher Walken as The Continental. He speaks vaguely of the vineyards and estates, including this one, "L'Orrca," the sixth Pit Stop in the race. Louie and Michael, who arrived first at 12:35 PM, get to leave at 12:35 AM. Middle of the night, and it's pissing rain. An auspicious start. Michael reads their clue sending them to "the island of Mahe in the...Say-chillies?" Phil narrates that they'll be flying 5,000 miles to the Seychelles, "a chain of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Phil assures us, "Due to its remote, exotic location, teams will all be traveling on the same flight." A charter? After they land on the island, they'll have to search for a "kiosk" -- actually a glorified clue box with numbers 1 to 6 hanging from its front -- and grab a number from the front and a clue from the inside. That's it? Land and then find the clue box? They'd better hope this isn't a very big island. Michael complains about everyone flying together (thus eating up their whole lead) as they walk to their car. Louie interviews that they're racing smarter. "I'm almost sick of hearing Michael go, 'read the clue again.'" Michael jokes that it's an even trade for putting up with Louie's snoring. Louie throws it right back at him. In either case, when it comes to snoring, they both look like they'd be champs.
Carol and Brandy are leaving in second place but almost an hour later, at 1:28 AM. Brandy is excited to be going to the Seychelles, which she can at least pronounce correctly.
Steve and Allie are leaving at 1:57 AM, in third place. Allie reads the clue, and although they don't know where the Seychelles are, they're happy to be going there. Steve, the professional baseball coach, interviews that the race "is as close as you can get to being in a World Series." Those are strong words, coming from someone who actually has been in a World Series. But he gets to watch his daughter and be proud of her at this one. Like he couldn't have had her pitch an inning against the Rays or something.
Jet and Cord are the fourth team to leave at 2:36 AM. They also don't know where the "Say-chillies" are, but are game to find it. "Good thing we're not driving [there]," Jet says when Cord guesses that it's an island. Hard to disagree with his assessment.
Dan and Jordan (now the only Jordan in the race, which makes my life easier) are leaving a whole hour later, at 3:36, in fifth place. Damn, how long did that champagne-glass tower take them to build, anyway? Like most other teams, they've never heard of the "Sey-chellies," but are ready to go. The rain's coming down for real now. Driving in their car to the airport, Jordan reads the clue to Dan about finding a kiosk with numbers on it, and explains how that means it will be to their advantage to get to it quickly. Dan looks like he really didn't need that explained.