Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | 119 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT So Near and Yet Safari
By M. Giant | Season 22 | Episode 7 | Aired on 2013.03.31
In less stressful news, Bates & Anthony are looking at the bonobos, ostriches, and gazelles from the back of their open-air safari taxi, reverently whispering, "Africaaah!" Soon they're running across a field to the mat, where a female greeter welcomes them to Maun, Botswana. Phil tells them they're team number one again, and they've won $7,500 each. I bet the racers love the weeks when the producers don't have time to shop. Phil remarks that this makes three first-place finishes for them in seven legs, but Bates says, "There's some strong teams out there, and they're coming for us, I know." Well, at least one of them won't be, after today.
In second place, Pam & Winnie are still enjoying their boat ride, waving at birds and fishermen. So are Chuck & Wynona behind them. Soon Pam & Winnie are back on dry land, though it's no less treacherous: "Poo everywhere!" Winnie says, picking her way to one of the group of waiting safari taxis. They're soon on their way to the Royal Tree Game Preserve, as are Chuck & Wynona. Caroline & Jennifer help each other out of their canoe and get their clue while Mona & Beth are coming in behind them, rather less smoothly. I'm glad to see Mona hasn't killed Beth yet, though that might only be because Beth is the one holding the big pole.
Max & Katie are just leaving the police station, Katie saying they have a lot of time to make up. Backing out, Max says, "That was like mayhem in there. It was not a good place to be at all." And he promptly backs their borrowed SUV into a pole. Katie tells him to calm down. "Oh, my God, this is horrible," Max says as the camera zooms in on a collapsed fender. I don't know, it looks totally drivable to me.
Post-commercials, they just keep going, Katie saying that maybe she should drive. Max tells her she's more than welcome to. He interviews afterwards that he wasn't about to get out to look at the damage, because then he'd start sweating and panicking, and we know from last week with the Bushmen how Katie feels about people smelling less-than-fresh when she's in a car with them. As they're getting back on the road, Katie says, "Hopefully people get lost."