Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | 44 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT Fast Forward, Fall Back
By M. Giant | Season 23 | Episode 6 | Aired on 11.03.2013
The five lead teams make it to Warsaw and commence what's going to be a four-and-a-half hour layover. They spot a couple of noisy clowns hugging someone on the platform, but to Okie Tim's relief, these are literal clowns and not the Afghanimals. Until the next pair of clowns to come down the escalator are the Afghanimals, who show up with the blondes. The five former lead teams all bust out their Oscar-loser smiles for the occasion. With all seven teams now together, some just now realize that this means the end of Brandon & Adam. But the Afghanimals deny having U-Turned them, even when Danny asks them straight out. There are skeptical looks all around, though of course Marie lacks the tact to stop at just a skeptical look. "You're such liars! You did U-Turn them!" she accuses. Leo & Jamal maintain that they never saw the Hairballs (which is not only not true but also doesn't preclude them from having U-Turned them), and they interview that they'll do what it takes to get ahead. Though they don't explain to us how the act of transparently and provably lying to all the other teams is supposed to accomplish that.
It's a bright, sunny early morning when the train pulls into Vienna and the teams race for taxis. Jason & Amy are the first pair to get a cab and reach the Opera House, telling their driver to wait for them. Other teams are close behind, and they pretty much all run in together to find the Rigoletto character crouching on the stairs theatrically, then silently leading them all the way up to the top balcony. They all marvel at the interior's soaring architecture, and Okie Tim interviews that the only theaters he's ever been in had movie screens. You know, I bet the Vienna Opera House has a movie screen somewhere too. I'm just saying. Eventually the racers are led to the costume department, which appears to be on the top floor. Rigoletto capers around and finally speaks in a weird Yoda voice as he starts handing out clues. I don't know that much about opera; is Rigoletto supposed to be so creepy?
Teams spread out along the top balcony to read their clues, which includes both a Detour and a Fast Forward. "Light Brigade" is the half of the Detour in which the racers have to dress up as court servants, complete with white gloves and powdered wigs, and put together an elaborate crystal chandelier in order to earn their next clue from the Chamberlain. Keep in mind that per Phil, "if they don't get it on their first try, their hopes of finishing this Detour will come crashing down." Apparently because the chandelier will be raised to the ceiling and then dropped to smash on the floor, as seen in a demonstration. Nobody is going to do this task, so we never get to find out whether the racers will be required to stand underneath the chandelier.