The Amazing Race 13 Insider, Episode 7: Can’t See the Racers for the Paint

Everyone seems to get over having green hair or crazy pink arms in order to focus on this leg of The Amazing Race. Yet one team actually contemplates throwing a win while another team obsesses about who will get married to whom after the race. But it’s ever-inquisitive Phil who interrogates Dan & Andrew (pictured) on whether Ken & Tina can expect some payback for their assist. Read on to see what the Frat Boys (and others) have to say about their continued time in India!

When watching these videos, as well as the show, it was hard not to sympathize with the Indian population. I too would be looking at these racers and wondering what the hell these people had been doing and why are they all covered in color? Throughout most of these videos the teams are absolutely covered in color (especially Kelly who turned literally black at one point), so it’s almost jarring to see the clean racers before the color attack! More surprising is even though India always proves to be a stressful leg, the teams are holding up quite well. Read the recaps (and watch the videos, too) to see the colorful goodness for yourself!

At The Pit Stop

Kelly & Christy On the Mat: Still covered in their India coloring, Kelly & Christy are noticeably bummed. Speaking through tears, Kelly tells Phil that both she and Christy had a great experience. Kelly just wishes they had won. For Christy it wasn’t about winning the money, though, it was just to win. She blames their frustrating loss on things out of their control, but let’s be honest, this leg was not about things out of their control!

Phil wonders if the journey was something they had to do and if they got something out of it. Christy’s deep friendship with Kelly was what she got out of it, which leads to more tears and hugs. Still talking through tears, Kelly praises Christy’s positive qualities and the fact that Christy really understands her. Christy is so proud of Kelly’s ability to keep going and her ability to succeed. More hugs.

Phil reminds them that they claimed to be ultra-competitive and unwilling to settle for anything but first place. To top it off, he then wonders how they reconcile that motivation with their abysmal performance in the Detour. Christy stares at Phil for a few uncomfortable seconds and finally responds that she can’t reconcile it. It comes down to them just having a bad day in India, according to Christy.

Frat Boys Still Hanging On: Phil reminds Dan & Andrew that this time is a key point in the race. Dan knows that and says that it’s key to be in the top five, which conveniently they are in now. Andrew recognizes that they’ve been last or next-to-last so much but mentioned to Dan four legs ago that they’ll be in this longer than they thought. And they’re still here! Andrew continues on about what a great elite status it is to be in the top five and is glad to be in such good company as previous top five teams (like the Weavers? C’mon now).

Phil brings up the Ken & Tina assist and if Dan & Andrew will repay them in kind if the opportunity arises. Dan believes they only offered help because they were certain they were ahead of others. Phil calls out Dan’s fence-sitting while Andrew continues explaining that Ken & Tina’s help wasn’t really help. Andrew would render the same assistance if the situation was the same, in which helping wouldn’t jeopardize their position. But if it’s down to the wire, not so much.

Will Phil see these guys at the end? Dan thinks it’s a good chance they’ll be there at the end, as now it’s a 20% chance of getting there. We’ll see.

Back in the Game: Phil wonders if Tina has any idea what she looks like with her completely green hair. Tina is afraid to see herself but knows she must look ridiculous as she got plenty of laughs during this leg. Phil is amazed that they came back so strongly especially after having to overcome a speed bump. Ken is pumped and declares that they are going to win the race. They were confident this morning and made it happen.

In response to a relationship question from Phil, Tina thinks they’ve been able to see every side of each other. Pulling together, though, during the tough times has allowed her to see a strategic, take-charge attitude in Ken she hadn’t seen before. She mentions that Ken can still lose focus and become a “fair-weather fan.” He needs to remember to stick it out and believe that they still can make it.

Phil wonders if the race is anything like Ken has ever done before. Ken recalls football training camp yet says the race is completely unlike that regimented experience. The Amazing Race is fun and exciting and the competition is tough but fun. Tina notes that while being in fourth place is better than being eliminated, she’s used to being in the top. There’s plenty of work to be done still as they’re ready to win it all.

Terence the Grape: Phil can’t believe he just saw a grape running, in reference to Terence completely covered in purple powder. It was quite a sight to Phil’s eyes and he just keeps chuckling and laughing about it. He notes that Sarah is quite clean except for where she’s rubbed against Terence. Once that becomes clear, Phil asks Terence to give Sarah a big purple hug. Terence gives her a big kiss and amazingly, no purple rubs off. I sure hope a shower will take care of that.

Are they okay with being in third place? Terence responds with “ish.” They had some good racing this leg, even at the chili-crushing Detour, and thought they were gunning for first. What about their relationship? Sarah & Terence are feeling great and could keep going right now if necessary. I have a feeling we’ll be watching a “to be continued” episode soon enough so they will get their wish. They explain their energy is coming from racing in India.

Terence compares racing to a marathon and now that they’ve hit the halfway mark, he’s ready to keep going. Sarah continues the marathon metaphor and says it’s only important when you finish the marathon, not how you were doing at mile 4 or 16. Phil suggests that Terence could run his next marathon with his current purple look.

Mom’s in Control: It took me a while to pay attention to what Dallas was saying as I was mesmerized by his spiky purple hair. It’s like from out of an anime cartoon! Anyways… Dallas & Toni are still a little frazzled by the ridiculous Indian traffic. Dallas understands and finally appreciates the traffic cops in the U.S.

Phil asks if Toni is exerting control during their race. She doesn’t think so, but Dallas quickly contradicts that sentiment. Phil puts the control question to Dallas, who thinks Toni’s controlling when she needs to be. Phil brings up Dallas’ future family plans and if Toni is going to be putting her two cents in a lot then. Dallas admits that Toni is already heavily involved in that aspect of his life even to the point of approving what girl, when to marry, and where to live. Toni explains that Dallas can live anywhere as she’ll just move there, too. Dallas plans to move as far away as possible and send Toni plane tickets.

Phil is mock aghast and Toni protests that Dallas is joking. I don’t think so. Dallas relents and says he’ll get her lots of plane tickets. Dallas does like his space and thinks college was the best thing ever to get it. Phil notices the obvious that it’ll take the right girl to be able to deal with Mom. Toni disagrees and says that the right girl can have him. Although the transvestite they ran into in traffic just then isn’t the right girl.

Siblings Still Soaring: First-place finishers Nick & Starr admit that they’re fine with having a target on their back. They have four wins to Ken & Tina’s three wins, which is amazing as I didn’t remember that nobody else has won! Starr wants the winning to continue. Both are running on great motivation and they’re having fantastic times. Although Nick admits to having a slight argument with Starr as she tripped during the Detour. He yelled at her but immediately realized it was a stupid thing to yell about. Apologies were made on the rickshaw to the Pit Stop so all is well.

Phil wonders if arguments are a normal thing between them. Starr tells him that they aren’t ever since Nick went away to college. Before that, a different story. Starr fully expected there to be more arguments because of the 24/7 nature of the race but they’ve been grateful for the time spent together. Nick admits that there was definite anxiety before the race about arguments occurring, but seven legs later things are great.

After The Race:

Terence & Sarah’s New Friend: Shortly after the leg started, Terence & Sarah joined up with a cab driver who helped them immensely. He spoke English, he was encouraging, he was responsive to their good nature, and he accepted U.S. dollars instead of rupees. Apparently they were all out of rupees after using them all up in the last leg on previous cabbies and getting that money necklace made. The cab driver stayed with them the entire leg. Terence even wanted to bring him with them to the Pit Stop mat.

Sarah & Terence actually had a debate in the cab about asking the cab driver to go with them. Sarah knew that they are always sprinting at this point but Terence had made a spiritual bond to the guy. Sarah’s logic won out but Terence wishes he were here still. He admits the cab driver wouldn’t have been able to keep up with speed demons Terence & Sarah.

Nick & Starr Stop Traffic: Starr talks about how crowded the Indian streets were and the utter chaos surrounding them. The Amazing Race status also contributed a lot to masses of people swarming around them. It was a frustrating and difficult environment to move around in. Nick adds that because of those difficulties, they had to become the “stubborn Americans.” So they would interfere with Indian daily life and enter the middle of a street and stop traffic. They had to do what they had to do.

Kelly & Christy Bid Adieu: Kelly explains that even with all the crazy stressful challenges, their friendship remained intact. Little arguments quickly dissipated. Christy is very proud of what they’ve done and of their proud, independent status. Christy brings up her ex-husband and his jealousy of Kelly & Christy’s close relationship to illustrate that their relationship is so strong. Christy is sure that he’ll roll his eyes when he watches them on television (join the club…?) but she knows he’ll still be jealous of Kelly. He’ll especially be jealous of Christy’s life and the fact she’s been able to move on. She’s actually sure he’ll be irate that Christy isn’t home ironing sheets. Overall, she feels blessed for the fact that she and Kelly are out doing this amazing experience.

What Goes Around Comes Around: Ken enjoyed being around Dan & Andrew so that’s why he helped them at the Detour. Tina explains Kelly & Christy could have asked for help instead of assuming Ken & Tina were cheating off of them at the Detour. Tina allowed them their privacy and we all know how that played out for the divorcees. Ken points out that Kelly & Christy were very independent from the start of the race and didn’t pursue alliances. He understands that but also recognizes that you have to ask for help and open up to other teams. Ken highlights that Dan & Andrew were willing to make that effort and look how that paid off for them!

Extra Scenes:

Ken Screws Up: In a cab heading away from the Roadblock, Ken admits that he didn’t read the clue closely. Tina agrees with him and reminds him in Roadblock situations to come back and reread the clue. After three times he finally understood what he had to do after reading the entire clue. It seems he was doing what Kelly did by just grabbing the first envelope off the ring he could grab. Tina explains to him what he was supposed to be looking for. She’s also still annoyed that she got pegged with color bombs, as did their bag. Ken is coughing up loads of colored snot as, like everyone else, he was frequently attacked with color powder directly in the face. Gross.

The Outcasts: Kelly & Christy are amazed at how hard it is to get around New Delhi, especially with all the chaos in the streets. They’re both shocked at how people would completely ignore them once they were covered in color powder. No one would make eye contact or act like they existed. Kelly realized to get a cab they had to show the color of money. That managed to grab more attention but not really any more cabs. Finally their current cab driver showed up and he took them, to their relief.

The Amazing Wedding: Pre-powder Kelly & Christy (wow, they were clean before their powder explosion!) are ragging on Dallas yet again, calling him Teen Wolf and mocking his hair. They’re annoyed that Dallas is making fun of them because of Kelly & Christy’s tendency to get head-starts over him. (I honestly can’t figure out myself what they’re annoyed about). Kelly calls out the attraction between Dallas & Starr, saying they’ll go back to have Teen Wolf babies. Cue the cackling laughter.

The talk turns to who will get married after The Amazing Race. Sarah & Terence, Dan & Marisa, Starr & Dallas, and Ken & Tina (neither are sure how long the current marriage has been in place) make the first round of speculation. Christy then wonders if Toni & Nick will get married, but Kelly shoots that down. Christy follows up with Nick & Andrew, which they both laugh about. Apparently Nick claims to have a girlfriend and they’re sure Andrew wouldn’t go for it. Then they turn on themselves and claim they’ll each marry Dan & Andrew, only after Dan divorces Marisa.

They both realize this could make for a race to the altar show and enact racing to the preacher and racing to put on the ring. They’ve thoroughly entertained themselves by this point and Christy announces it’s good that they smoked crack this morning in India. I would have to concur on that assessment because they are really having a good time with this conversation.

Deviously Brilliant: Kelly & Christy bought a map of New Delhi in the airport and Kelly hid all the other copies elsewhere. They’re proud of their subterfuge especially when they saw Terence & Sarah looking to get a map. Christy calls Kelly “deviously brilliant” but thinks they’re both good at sabotaging other teams’ efforts. They’re hitting their stride in this respect and find a thrill in being devious.

After You, I Insist: While stuck in the traffic jam before the Pit Stop, Starr asks Nick if they want to give first place to Toni & Dallas. Nick shoots that idea down immediately. If it happens, it happens, but it won’t be because they willingly surrender it to them. Starr thinks it could be good strategy (to let Toni & Dallas win) to ensure teams still like them and not consider them a threat. Nick thinks it’s just far along in the race to do that kind of stuff. I agree.

Nick & Starr’s Indian Vacation: The worst part of the Indian legs has been the traveling aspect. Not only is it chaotic to travel there, it has been quite expensive to do so. Nick notes that there are no lanes per se on the road as everyone just drives on the big strip of road. He’s felt unsafe in NYC cabs before, but nothing like this, and that’s saying something! Furthermore they are unsure of how far away the destination is for the cab driver and have ended up overpaying several times.

The Little Black Book: Nick reveals their “war book,” which is where they transcribe all the clues in case they happen to misplace a clue. Starr points out that many of the teams have made some careless mistakes while they have been fortunate not to have similar fates. Nick calls out Kelly & Christy specifically for making some mind-boggling mistakes that are amusing to observe. What has been surprising is that despite those mistakes, Kelly & Christy somehow manage to still place well. Nick & Starr both think that Kelly & Christy are smart, but they make mistakes and only good luck has preserved them. Nick flat-out says that if Kelly & Christy were to win The Amazing Race, it would disappoint him greatly as they don’t deserve to win.

Soaking in the Sights: Toni & Dallas list out what they’ve seen in New Delhi so far today: a man washing himself on the street, an Indian transvestite, a hunchback warrior, and traffic gridlock chaos. Dallas finally understands how necessary U.S. traffic cops are. Toni is amazed even bicycles were in the gridlock. Dallas continues on that sensory overload is what India is all about, as everything smells insane and there’s people everywhere. Nothing is at a normal level here.

Pole Position: Toni & Dallas fully understand that without a good taxi driver, your race standing is out of your control. Toni knows you need to ensure your driver knows where he’s going because that can make all the difference in the world. While she’s talking I can only notice that Dallas’ arm looks like it’s covered in a horrendous rash due to the powder on it. Meanwhile, Dallas is happy that it looks like their current driver knows where he’s going.

The Zen of Andrew & Dan: Andrew is talking about the ridiculous Indian traffic (like every other team) but all I see is the horrific sight of Dan’s face. Due to the powder paint it looks like a really bad case of either acne or chicken pox. Dan realizes that while the traffic is frustrating, there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. He just lets it roll off his back, which surprises even him. He normally doesn’t let things like this not bother him. But because everyone else has to deal with this, it’s fine. Plus none of the racers can speak Hindi so no one has a built-in advantage either.

Through Sarah’s Eyes: The video cuts in amidst a running discussion between Terence & Sarah about whether Nick & Starr are a strong team. Terence thinks they are while Sarah disagrees. Three first-place finishes help Terence to prove his point regardless of whether Nick & Starr can be considered strong.

Terence brings up that he wants to get an electric car and Sarah says once they win the million they can get electric cars. But Terence wants to win them, not buy them. This leads Sarah to say something about hating Nick & Starr. Terence doesn’t understand the hate and Sarah explains it’s because Nick & Starr always do something rude each leg. Terence asks what they did the last leg and Sarah brings up Nick lying to Tina (at Angkor Wat). Terence corrects her in that that was two legs ago and Sarah gets annoyed. She is positive they must have done something rude but she doesn’t know for sure because she didn’t see them at all the last leg.

Terence reiterates that while he agrees with Sarah on their dislike for how Nick & Starr run their race, he considers them strong because they win. Sarah still disagrees with calling them strong because at the Pit Stop, Nick & Starr are always apologizing to the other teams for something. Sarah is positive everyone dislikes Nick & Starr. Terence will give her that and would love to see them gone.

Elimination Station:

Kelly & Christy Eliminated: At 4:00 in the morning, the residents of Elimination Station have been awoken to receive a phone call from the latest eliminated team. Mark is less than thrilled about having to wake up so early for it, though. Soon enough, the speakerphone on the table rings and the group is surprised to hear Kelly & Christy’s voices on the other end. We see Kelly & Christy talking from India probably around the same time they were filming the post-race videos above. This timeframe can be assumed because both the divorcees still look seriously bummed and are near tears.

Kelly & Christy catch them all up on the events of the last two legs, letting them know about Ken & Tina’s non-elimination leg, too. Christy jokes to Anita & Arthur that her T-shirt looks like just like theirs now because of the powder. They love that! Kelly & Christy ask where they all are, which gets me to thinking why we’re seeing a phone call. Kelly & Christy then say goodbye and that they’ll see them at the finish line. Hmm… The phone call ends then and the group starts discussing what they just learned.

Marisa & Brooke are surprised, a little, that it was Kelly & Christy who were eliminated. But in Brooke’s mind, it was either going to be them or Dan & Andrew next.

As the sun rises on the next day, Anthony & Stephanie are up making breakfast. Anthony tells us that he and Stephanie had been arguing up until about five minutes before the phone call. He was certain there was going to be drama from Stephanie during the call.

What was the argument about? He believes it is because he hasn’t proposed to Stephanie yet. She immediately jumps in and clarifies that after four years of dating, a man should know one way or the other what to do. The phrase “crap or get off the crapper” comes to mind, to be frank. Anthony notes that every time they have those arguments it eats away at the reasons why he’d want to stay in a relationship with Stephanie.

Cut to the group heading to the marina where they all board a party boat. Stephanie looks less than happy on the cruise and Anthony ignores it. He comments that she just likes to pout (note that during this interview segment, he’s not with Stephanie) and it’s pathetic and he can’t look at her.

It turns out the party boat is actually a transport boat to a reef where they all proceed to go snorkeling! Stephanie reveals that she was scared to go snorkeling. When she and Anthony went snorkeling together they ended up having a good time. Brooke is chilling on the boat and Bill joins her, complimenting her on effortlessly snorkeling her first time.

The boat is anchored near a cliff wall and they all decide to jump off from it. It’s not a jump like those daredevil Acapulco cliff-divers, but everyone has fun jumping ten feet or so into the water. For Arthur, it was a chance to face a fear and it was a revelation to finally do it.