Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | 1 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT Istanbul, Not Constantinople
By M. Giant | Season 21 | Episode 6 | Aired on 11.04.2012
After the ads, Jaymes and James are pleased with their decision to switch to the taxi, which is already going much faster. Meanwhile, Rob insists on the train, "No way anybody coulda got there faster than us, honey." Famous last words. "This might be the leg that we might get us a win." Even famouser, laster words. Er.
James and Abba spot the next clue box in Asia even before their ferry docks. They hop off the boat and claim the first envelope, which is telling them to take a taxi to a place called Misir Carsisi and find their next clue. According to the b-roll, the building looks like an ancient, minareted temple from the outside, but a shopping arcade on the inside. I find that somehow depressing. Inside, they'll need to find shop number 14 -- helpfully indicated by a bright LED light overhead that reads "No. 14"-- to get their next clue. They head for a cab after a brief pause for Abba to attend to the wrapping around his ankle. His knee injury appears to be spreading.
The four teams on the ferry behind them show up and start looking for the clue, and experience some consternation upon seeing Team Metal there ahead of them, even though the latter team is still just hiring their cab. They're barely on their way when Trey calls out that he found the clue box. So he and Lexi are in second, Josh & Brent in third, Abbie & Ryan fourth, and the twins fifth, after Ryan chivalrously flings a clue envelope at Natalie. Everyone cabs up.
Jaymes and James get to the first ferry terminal in sixth place, and Jaymes notices that there are already a lot of clues gone from the box. "We're not as fast as we thought we were," he understates. But at least they're still well ahead of the monster truckers as they get on the ferry to the Asian side, Jaymes babbling, "Wouldn't be us if we didn't do something a little off." As their boat casts off, I can assure them that they are still very much them.
Rob & Kelley? Still on the train. But at least they're not followers. On the other hand, they're sure as hell not leaders.
James and Abba get to the Turkish mall just ahead of Team Austin, but they end up heading inside and searching together. A sign outside reads "MISIR CARSISI SPICE BAZAAR 1597-1664," even though the place is clearly still standing. They run though the main arcade and quickly find the tough-to-miss Shop 14, where a Speed Bump sign is waiting with Josh & Brent's picture on it, and indeed taking up most of the available retail space. The vendor hands them a clue inside a box of Turkish Delight, a treat which at this point is more geographically associated with Narnia than Turkey. Too bad they couldn't get Tilda Swinton for this leg.