The Amazing Race 19 Secret Scenes, Episode 2:  “Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste”

Synopsis Paragraph: Ethan (pictured, with Jenna) knows more than probably quite a few of us what it’s like to confront mortality head on and in some of these clips, he lets us know his perspective as well as what he sees as the differences between Survivor and The Amazing Race.  The remaining racers also reveal the tentative alliances starting to form.  Will it be the siblings who band together or will the farmers Bill & Cathi or snowboarders Andy & Tommy wipe the floor with the other teams?  Read on to find out!

Welcome back to the recaps of the extra clips from the race that CBS provides on the Amazing Race website.   I’ll be your guide through these looks at not only extra scenes from the race itself, but also the interviews Phil conducts at the Pit Stop as well as interviews with some of the teams after the conclusion of the leg.  

Extra Race Footage

Featured Team:  Jeremy & Sandy

Jeremy Takes It All In:  Jeremy & Sandy are standing at the train door looking at the nighttime scenery as the train heads to Jakarta.  Jeremy notes that it looks like they’re headed through the slums, and both are surprised at all the people they see picking through the trash along the tracks.  In voiceover, he explains that the whole scene was so compelling and he couldn’t leave the train door for at least 45 minutes.  The sadness of the situation gave him a reality check of where they really were.  It gave Jeremy a new perspective on how fortunate he is to live in America compared to what others in the world endure.  He knows that he has been changed.

Featured Team:  Andy & Tommy

Sparks of Friendship:  While in a cab, Tommy tells us that they’ve started to bond with Lawrence & Zac (the father & son sailing team).  Andy agrees and says it was a natural evolution with nothing explicitly planned in terms of picking them as friends.  After sitting near them on trains and racing at about the same pace, they just started to hang out.  They consider who else they like, and Andy admits he likes “Thumper” (Marcus) and thinks that Amani is a cool cat.  Andy laughs as Amani has noticed his & Tommy’s manic energy and keeps asking them not to encourage Marcus.  Tommy is impressed with Zac’s achievement in sailing around the world alone and both think he’s quite an amazing kid.  In their words, “that’s pretty rad.”

Featured Team:  Liz & Marie

Twins vs. Siblings:  While riding in a cab, Liz (?) explains to us that there’s a difference between a twin relationship versus the standard sibling relationship.  Liz has been hearing from Justin that he & Jennifer have been having plenty of self-destructive problems on the race already.  That relationship is holding them back from succeeding on the race.  Meanwhile, Liz & Marie claim that they don’t have any of those types of issues (although screaming at the other during the Confucius challenge doesn’t count, right?).  They admit that they are making mistakes but instead of arguing about it, they mostly look at each other and laugh at themselves.  Both consider that one thing possibly holding them back is that they’re approaching problems with the same mindset as opposed to having different perspectives on it.

Featured Teams:  Justin & Jennifer, Liz & Marie

Sibling Act of Kindness:  At the train station, Jennifer has four train tickets, two for them and two for Liz & Marie.  Since Justin & Jennifer showed up at the train station last, they were last in the line.  Jennifer asked Liz & Marie if they would purchase their tickets if Jennifer gave them money to do so and the twins did it.  Justin notes that Jennifer has been fostering an informal alliance with Liz & Marie and hopes that perhaps it will yield results in the long run.  It seems that everyone will end up on the same train anyway this time though.  He’s aware that they owe the Twins a favor but also he plans on “paying it forward” but his justification afterwards doesn’t support his argument as he states that everyone is there to win.  Not sure you’d want to pay it forward too much in a competition, but let’s see how the season goes!

Featured Team:  Andy & Tommy

Figuring Out Cindy:  Andy is trying to figure Cindy out as he learned from her that she had two extra inserts of pages in her previous passport and already has an additional insert in her current one.  Andy & Tommy realize that she is quite the seasoned traveler.   Cindy has told them that she has family everywhere and also travels extensively for business and pleasure.  Andy thinks there’s more to her story.  He does reason though that while she may be a professional traveler, he also has traveled a lot but the Race levels the playing field by stripping you of your iPhones and ability to easily find travel info out.  Now you’re stuck having to find people out to help you, and hopefully they speak English.

Featured Team:  Ethan & Jenna

Ethan’s Full Perspective:  Ethan reflects on the previous night’s train ride through the poverty-stricken areas of Indonesia and how such sights give you a new perspective on your life, much like Jeremy experienced as shown in the clip, Jeremy Takes It All In.  He knows that when the Race is over, he & Jenna get to go back to comfortable life in the United States.  So the experience in the last Detour of dancing like a fool was great as it was raising money for a charity.  Jenna tells us that is Ethan’s thing and it definitely is, as you can see by his Grassroots Soccer t-shirt he’s wearing.  He’s also wearing a Stand Up to Cancer bracelet and an AIDS charity bracelet.

Ethan’s also had some personal challenges in his life recently, including his battle with cancer.  He doesn’t think he’s racing any different than he would have had he raced before the cancer.  He still is able to stop and take the experience in as the memories are what last, not necessarily the million-dollar prize.  If you can come home after the Race with some real-life experiences, then you will have something which truly makes a difference in your life.  

Featured Team:  Bill & Cathi

Bill & Cathi’s Strategy:  As their cab drives through the city, Bill marvels at the beautiful skyscrapers.  Cathi explains to us that they’re happy to give and share information with other teams but they aren’t going to hang around with them long enough to create a disadvantage.  Today’s leg is especially crucial for them as they also have to compete against the double elimination.  Cathi recognizes that Ethan & Jenna have a tight-lipped strategy but she likes them anyway and respects that.  It even encourages her to maintain a similar quiet strategy.  What amuses her is that all the teams are friendly until it’s time to get in a line at which point everyone hunkers down.

Featured Team:  Ron & Bill

Ron & Bill Just Want to Dance:  Bill tells us that before the race started, he & Ron had agreed that if a challenge involved dancing, they’d choose that one.  So when Bill initially opted for doing the parking Detour, Ron had to remind him of their deal.  They both think that while they’re going to be a fantastic spectacle, it will also be a fun challenge to do.  They are on the race not just to win a million dollars, but to have fun and memorable experiences.  Bill wishes that Ron could have rappelled as well but Ron is just happy that Bill got the opportunity to do it.  Bill can’t wait to see if he can use his own dancing style at the upcoming dance Detour.

Featured Team:  Ernie & Cindy

Cindy’s Bucket List:  As their cab leaves the Jakarta airport, Cindy announces her excitement because of being where they are.  Cindy wanted to go there for their honeymoon, and Ernie realizes that now she’s checked off two things on her bucket list.  One was to go to Taiwan (the last leg) and another was to visit Indonesia.  Seems like the race has been great for places she wants to go.  Cindy hopes that they head to Turkey as well during the race.  Now that they’re visiting all these places, Ernie reasons that they can now figure out which place they want to return to.  He’s already sure he’d like to go back to Taiwan as the food was real good.

Featured Team:  Laurence & Zac

Zac, the Translator:  While in their bumpy cab, Laurence explains they’re driving on quite a “clanker” of a road.  It’s rough and rocks are knocking on the bottom of the car, but soon they’ll be back on a street without dirt termed bigamice (I have no idea if I spelled that right).  Zac tells us that Laurence is talking about the asphalt road that they’ll eventually get back on.  Laurence informs us that bigamice is a British word.  Hmm.

At the Pit Stop

Featured Team: Ron & Bill (last place)

Ron & Bill Are Rock Solid: Phil asks what is special about Ron & Bill’s relationship.  Ron praises Bill for his strength and endurance especially in the first leg, as it kept him going.  Bill tells Phil that they’ve been a couple for 13 years and it’s that partnership, whether you’re gay or straight, which is the most cherished thing of all.  Ron agrees and thinks that because they’re also best friends it makes a huge difference.  Being with a partner who you actually want to be with every day is special.

Phil asks Ron how it feels to be in a relationship like that.  Ron never takes it for granted and every day he’s thankful that Bill is in his life.  Bill is happy that they can always tell each other everything and whatever is on their mind or hearts in a truthful manner.  They don’t tip-toe around each other and they live their lives honestly.  Ron thinks it’s been a great couple of days, although Bill thinks it feels like longer and wants to consult his bunions.  He’s got no regrets as he got to both rappel and dance in the streets of Indonesia in the same day.  They also got to give a good amount of money to an orphanage.  

After a good hug, Phil tells them that he enjoyed having them on the race for two legs and will miss them.  He knows that even this limited run will be something they never forget, which they both agree is the truth.  

Featured Team:  Ethan & Jenna (10th place)

Ethan & Jenna’s End:  Phil asks Ethan what his life lessons are considering he’s been through Survivor, cancer and now The Amazing Race.  Ethan thinks for a moment and responds that you should never let a crisis go to waste as it’s an opportunity to do some pretty important things.   In this recent case, he & Jenna got the chance to raise awareness for his charity, see some amazing sights, and prove to the world that there is life after cancer.  Jenna tearfully agrees with him.  Ethan continues on and explains to Phil that to make others truly happy is a wonderful gift.

Phil asks Jenna what she has gotten out of this and she tells him that Ethan’s strength and never-say-die attitude and the fact that it’s part of her life are important.  Those qualities are truly unique and special.  Phil reasons that it’s said that if you can find a soulmate who will stick with you through good times and bad, you’re blessed.  Ethan is happy to have found Jenna and gives Phil the news flash that while they both are great at Survivor, they’re not so good at the Race.  

Phil wonders how Survivor and The Amazing Race differ.  Ethan thinks that Survivor is all about preserving you and your community and strategizing to get others out while in The Amazing Race, the focus is on you and your team to survive yourself and random elements of chance.  Jenna admits she’s frustrated with the way things turned out and wishes certain things had just gone their way, such as better cabs or speedier driving.  She thinks that there was a lot out of their control, but Ethan realizes that they needed to race smarter.  They obviously raced too hard and didn’t read the orphanage clue as they should have.  Ethan won’t let their disappointment get them down as they have to look around and see where they are and enjoy it.  Phil thinks it could be better than being stuck on an island.  Ethan agrees that it’s definitely better than being stuck in a hospital room and is in fact a blessing.  

Featured Team: Amani & Marcus (ninth place)

Amani & Marcus Survive: Both Amani & Marcus ask Phil to get a spatula in order to pick them up off the pavement.  Phil asks Amani if she’s worried Marcus won’t be able to make it around the world but she clarifies that it was Marcus who carried her through this leg.  She was not sure if she’d make it when they had to return to the orphanage but they did, mainly through his motivation.   Marcus gives Amani credit as she persevered.   He knew she had the capability but in normal life, she doesn’t have to dig deep like she does here.  This revelation blows Amani away.  Phil congratulates them on surviving and sends them on their way to recover.

After the Race

Featured Team:  Amani & Marcus

A New Side of Amani:  Marcus talks about having to go back to the orphanage to give all of their money.  Both he & Amani were exhausted and didn’t want to do it, but they persevered and went through with it.  Marcus hopes that can be a lesson to his children.  He was also proud to see how Amani hung in there as it’s not something she has the opportunity to practice.  He can’t wait for his kids to see how awesome their mother did.  Amani does her victory dance which gets a laugh out of Marcus.  He has never seen that side of her especially when having to persevere through both physical and mental exhaustion.

Featured Team:  Ethan & Jenna

Ethan & Jenna’s Farewell:  Sniff…I didn’t want them to go so soon!  Anyway, Ethan explains that he & Jenna have had to overcome some fairly horrible things during the last few years, mainly his rough battle with cancer.  He sees that battle as proof that there can be life after cancer.  As he searches for the right way to phrase his next thought, he finally tells us that one of their goals for The Amazing Race was to go out and have a good time.  Jenna immediately laughs at that and they both wonder what happened to that goal.

Ethan & Jenna also wanted to race hard and be competitive while also using this opportunity to celebrate life, especially after having just been confined to a room connected to a life-sustaining medical pump.  Jenna doesn’t see their elimination as taking away from their other victories, including beating cancer and each winning Survivor.  The same team can’t win every Super Bowl and Jenna realizes they just had bad luck (and poor observation skills – that was so aggravating watching everyone completely overlook that sign at the orphanage!), which happens to the best of them.  

Featured Team:  Ron & Bill

Ron & Bill’s Chapter Ends:  Bill tells us that they’ve done more in four days than most people ever do.  The experience has been an amazing chapter in their life and they’ve loved every minute of it.  They won’t ever forget any part of it, from rappelling or getting eliminated.  This chapter of their already amazing life may be closing but they are always ready for what happens next.  They know they’ve already got a relationship that’s worth more than a million dollars.

Featured Team:  Kaylani & Lisa

Kaylani & Lisa Are Unprepared:  Lisa tells us that she regrets not having brought a more standard t-shirt along on the journey to cover up while racing in Jakarta, a very Muslim country.  Instead, she had to wear a long-sleeved windbreaker jacket, which isn’t optimal when it’s hot and muggy.    Unfortunately the video cuts off at this point, so either I make up a story or more appropriately, just end this particular video recap.

Hobie Barnes lives in Santa Monica, California after enjoying the hectic Manhattan life for 4 years.  He just got back from traveling in Turkey, Italy & Greece and can’t wait to see if the places he visited end up on this season of the race.  When not busy fighting the 405 and 101 freeways on the commute to Burbank, he is patiently waiting for an Amazing Race or Survivor scout to cast him!  He can be reached at <a href=”mailto:hobiewan76@gmail.com”>hobiewan76@gmail.com</a>.