Let me just start off by saying, hahahahahahahahahah. Ah, that felt good. As always, exciting and had me on the edge of my seat for the whole show. I love this show, dangit.
Eric and Jeremy were the first team to start out. They're instructed to take the train from Sicily to Rome and find their next clue at the Trevi fountain. When they get to the station they find out the first train doesn't leave until 8am the next morning, so all the teams are bound to bunch up. I'm glad because Ray and Yolanda are in last place and I really like them. Not the best players, but still, I like them. When last place team Ray and Yolanda get to the train station they laugh with Eric and Jeremy that they haven't seen them in awhile, since they've been in last place and Eric and Jeremy have been in first or second. Don't know exactly how that is since at the end of each leg there's a mandatory rest period where they eat and are social. Whatever, it's a cute moment that I just ruined with my nit picking.
Once in Rome, Lake has shaved and it's quite a shock. When did he do that? I mean I guess on the train, but that's kinda weird and gross to me. Anyway, Eric and Jeremy and MoJo opt to take taxis instead of the metro, which everyone else takes. I'm not really sure who the dumbass is who suggested they take the metro but the two taxi teams seem to have a decent lead. When they arrive at the Trevi fountain they find their clue which tells them to travel less then a mile to the Spanish Steps. There they'll find a carriage and in one of the biggest product placements I've ever seen on a television show they're to find a clue with Da Vinci's Vutruvian Man on it and solve a puzzle, ala The Da Vinci Code, a small clip follows. Monica, who, with Joseph, is still making her way to the Trevi Fountain comments on how amazing it is to walk the same streets as Ceasar and all those people. Gotta love the girl.
See, dumb
When Eric and Jeremy get to the carriage and find the puzzle, it's really stupid. It's two pieces of tracing paper that have the drawing on it. You just have to put it together to figure out what it says. They do it in seconds. It can't be that though because it's so easy my 4 year old nephew could do it. I'm thinking it has to come into play later. MoJo gets there and put it together as well. The clue they find says they'll have to fly to Athens, Greece to find an ancient marketplace called Agora.
Everyone makes it to the fountain and steps and gets on the same flight out to Athens. When they get to Athens it's Fran and Barry who are out in a taxi first. MoJo and Ray and Yolanda are next and they have a little animosity between them. Joseph doesn't understand why they're all business. It's only $1 Million!!! Yolanda also thinks that maybe there's not a lot going on up there. I'm assuming she means in MoJo's heads. Hey, I don't want my two favorite teams to be fighting. Of course, the next place they arrive doesn't open until 8am so they bunch up again.
At 8am it's pouring out and the teams go for the cluebox. They find out that this is the first of only two Fast Forwards. In this one the teams have to walk less then a mile to a restaurant and do a good luck Greek ritual, breaking plates. MoJo decides to do it and takes off. For some dumbass reason, Eric and Jeremy also decide to do it. They're such douches. Okay, your team gets either 1st or 2nd place every time, without the Fast Forward, why would you ever waste this one and do it now? They're never happy with 2nd place. So frustrating, hopefully their arrogance will come bite them in the ass. Fran and Barry decide to do it as well. Unfortunately, even though MoJo gets there in record time, Eric and Jeremy's luck stays with them and they are able to quickly find the flag that was baked into one of the plates. It tells them to go to the Pit Stop, the Fortress of Rion. MoJo heads out and a few minutes later Fran and Barry showed up and realize the Fast Forward is gone. They take off as well.
The other teams have to take a train 70 miles to Corinth and get off at a certain station to find their next clue. They get on the train and head off. When MoJo gets to the train station and know the other teams are ahead of them Monica breaks down, thinking they're in dead last. Joseph tries to comfort her, to no avail, until he tells her that if she keeps being down and crying he's going to be pissed. They have a little dialogue where she reminds him that she's a woman and this is the way she handles things. When Fran and Barry arrive Monica immediately snaps out of it when she realizes they're still in the race.
Lake and Michelle, Ray and Yolanda, and BJ and Tyler arrive in Corinth. Unfortunately, either BJ or Tyler tells them they've arrived and all six get off. When they realize it's not the right train station, instead of getting back on the train, they opt to take a bus the rest of the way there, as the attendant there instructed them they should do. Michelle is the first to point out that taking a bus wasn't in the clue and wonders if it's going to screw them up. All knowing Lake tells her that this isn't going to screw them up. Lake. Lake. That's such a dumb name.
At the correct station they go up to the cluebox and pull the numbered tags. It's a Roadblock. Bungee jumping! I guess for a million bucks I'd do this, but not for a penny less. This bungee jump is especially bad ass because you have to jump way out. Ray is first and has no problem doing it. When they open the clue afterwards it's a Detour. They have to choose between Herculean Effort and It's All Greek to Me. I'm a little disappointed the producers couldn't rhyme those. Anyway, in Herculean Effort the teams have to participate in three classic Greek sports, javelin, discus, and wrestling to get their next clue. In It's All Greek To Me it's at the same stadium. They have to go to an archaeological site and find nine pieces of pottery with Greek letters on them. Then they have to translate the letters into English, with the help of Greek "spectators" there on the spot, and find the Greek city on the map that spells out. Ray and Yolanda run to the marked cars across the bridge and head out.
MoJo arrives pretty soon after and Tyler, Michelle and Monica do the jump with no problem. Fran's freaking out. Barry tells us that this is the one thing she didn't want to do on the whole race, bungee jump. When she gets out there she's hesitant. After a few minutes of terror she finally take the leap. She tells Barry that it was the most scared she's ever been.
Eric and Jeremy arrive at the Pit Stop and run up to Phil. Apparently, putting the two pieces of tracing paper together to read the words on the bottom was the only thing they had to do, so they win a prize. Their prize is being able to walk down the red carpet at the premiere of The Da Vinci Code. These tools love this prize, and I'm not surprised, they'll love to see pictures of themselves in magazines I'm sure.
At the stadium Ray and Yolanda show up and start the games. Yolanda throws the discus, no problem. Unfortunately Ray's attempts at throwing the javelin don't work. MoJo comes along and Joseph's able to do the javelin fairly quickly and they move past them. The last event is to push a half naked Greek wrestler out of the ring. MoJo has a little difficulty but when it's finally Ray and Yolanda's turn, Yolanda's no little butterfly.
Over at It's All Greek To Me, Lake and Michelle arrive a few minute later and start doing it as well. BJ and Tyler are still driving and stop and ask for directions. They're heartbroken when they realize they've driven nearly an hour or so in the wrong direction. They quickly get back on the road and start heading the right way. I don't want to see these two go, but it seems inevitable. Tyler feels like this is all his fault since he was in charge of the map. BJ takes it in stride, at first a little mad, but then putting on a festive frog hat to lighten the mood. Of course, this could be a non-elimination leg.
Fran and Barry figure out which city the Greek letters spell and leave. When they pull the car out of the lot, Barry smashes into a tree and the back window shatters. This scares the hell out of me so I can't imagine how bad it must have been to be Fran in the back seat. I'm surprised the poor thing didn't have a heart attack.
He's not getting lost this time
At the Pit Stop Ray and Yolanda end up in second place because MoJ got lost on their way there. Unfortunately, Phil tells them that even though they've arrived second, they get a 15 minute penalty for getting off the train and taking the bus. As they sit there MoJo arrives and takes second. When the fifteen minutes are up Ray and Yolanda are checked in third. Fran and Barry come in fourth.
Now it's just between BJ and Tyler and Lake and Michelle. Editing makes it look like Lake and Michelle have left the stadium by the time BJ and Tyler make it there. Lake and Michelle get lost on their way to the Pit Stop and Lake actually breaks down. As much as it pains me to say, it's quite sweet how Michelle comforts him. BJ and Tyler go through the games as it rains on them and it's kinda gross when Tyler takes his shirt off to wrestle. That boy needs some sun.
BJ and Tyler have to stop and ask for directions again and when they arrive to the mat they're greeted by Phil. Imagine their surprise when they're told they're not in last place. Just like Ray and Yolanda though, they have a fifteen minute penalty for getting off the train. As they sit there nervously, I'm not worried because Lake and Michelle were on that train too, so even if they did arrive while BJ and Tyler were waiting, they'd have that penalty as well. And of course, I'm nearly 100% positive this is a non-elimination leg. The fifteen minutes are up and BJ and Tyler are checked in in fifth place. When Lake and Michelle do finally get there and Phil tells them they're in last place, I'm happy to say they're eliminated.
Now I really don't care who wins, as long as Scott Peterson didn't win, I was cool. I hope those douches Eric and Jeremy don't win, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. I'd like it to be MoJo I think.
