The Amazing Race 18 Secret Scenes, Episode 9:  Racing Back Home

The fan-favorite Cowboys Jet & Cord (pictured) have plenty of airtime in these secret scenes.  They not only figure out what happened that resulted in Jet being the only one to redo Liechtenstein, they have plenty to say about being U-Turned as well as the fact that they just want to go home.  Other teams like Kent & Vyxsin and Gary & Mallory also plot about U-Turns while Kisha & Jen admit they’re ready to take on anyone for the final three, as long as they’re in it.  Read on for more, including Kent’s assertion that he gave it his all this leg! 

Extra Race Footage

Featured Team:  Kent & Vyxsin

Goths Don’t Worry:   On their train ride, Vyxsin explains that since they’ve already used their U-Turn opportunity up, they’re not stressing about that at this point.  The team they U-Turned (Jaime & Cara) got eliminated so they don’t fear any reprisals.  Although they ended up in third place in the last leg, Vyxsin figures that they won’t have a target on their back as there are still far stronger team to go after.  Kent agrees and figures the other teams would love to race against Kent & Vyxsin in the final three as they don’t seem that dominating.  Vyxsin thinks that she & Kent are just like Kisha & Jen in that they don’t get much press about being a strong team but they really are.

Featured Team:  Gary & Mallory

Gary & Mallory Talk U-Turn:   While riding the rails to Switzerland, Mallory tells us that when they saw their Speed Bump in Liechtenstein, she immediately panicked and thought they had been U-Turned.  That obviously wasn’t the case but Mallory realizes that you can’t expect to be immune to the U-Turn as it is a game and everyone is playing.  She figures if anyone does use it, it might be Kisha & Jen U-Turning Kent & Vyxsin or Zev & Justing U-Turning Jet & Cord.  Mallory doesn’t think they’ll get U-Turned by either of those two teams.  She knows that she’d have a problem U-Turning others though.

Gary lets us know that apparently the plan on the train to Liechtenstein, which was spearheaded by Jen, was for everyone to target Kent & Vyxsin for the U-Turn.  Mallory sees that it’s easy to say, as long as you’re not the one to do it.  If you’re in the top, you don’t feel the need to U-Turn and thus remain safe from reprisal.  The only plus Gary points out is that even if Kent & Vyxsin hear about the plan, there’s nothing they can do about it as they’ve already used their U-Turn.

Featured Team:  Jet & Cord

Jet Figures It Out:  On the train to Switzerland, Jet & Cord have no misconceptions about the fact that they are in last place.  Jet tells Cord that during the Liechtenstein Roadblock he made two wrong turns but tried to backtrack the odometer in his head so he wouldn’t have an inaccurate kilometer count.  Cord tells Jet that when the first set of teams finished, they told everyone that the other teams ended up having to go all the way back.  Jet knows that he was the only one who went back.

Cord is confused because it sounded like there was more than one team that had to go back.  Jet reasons that another team must have ran into a team that had the right answer and got it from them so they didn’t have to go all the way back to the beginning.  Jet recalls that he passed Flight Time on his way back (which we saw on the show) and he knows Flight Time didn’t have the right answer because of all the wrong turns Flight Time made.  Jet figures Flight Time had to have run into someone that gave him the right answer.  Jet also remembers Gary was having problems too.  More frustrating was if Jet had just noticed that there was a bike trail that paralleled the entire route, he could have just followed that without worrying about the map. 

At the Pit Stop

Featured Team: Jet & Cord (last place)

Cowboys Take Aim:  Phil reluctantly tells Jet & Cord that Flight Time & Big Easy didn’t feel good about U-Turning them.  The Cowboys sarcastically laugh at that and bet that the Globetrotters were completely broken up over it.  Phil tells them that they were the Globetrotters’ favorite team and it was heartbreaking to U-Turn them.  Jet & Cord aren’t buying what Phil is selling and figure if that helps the Globetrotters feel better about their decision, then that’s great.  Phil calls them out for their skepticism and gets them to agree that they are indeed a very strong team.  Cord explains that when they reached the U-Turn box first a few legs ago, they didn’t use it as they wanted to straight-up race everyone.  But they now have targets on their backs so this is what happened.

Phil bets there are a lot of relieved teams now knowing that the Cowboys are out of it.  Jet will take it as a compliment if the other teams think it’s a big deal just to beat them.  Phil asks them what went wrong on this leg.  Jet admits it was his mistake in his Liechtenstein that set them back.  Phil asks Cord if he pins it all on Jet and we then see what we saw on the show, which is Cord saying that they raced as a team and there is no individual culpability.  Phil points out that what people love about the Cowboys is their connection to each other and the respect and love they have for each other.  He asks Jet how it feels to have a brother like Cord.  Jet can’t even imagine not having Cord in his life. 

Featured Team: Flight Time & Big Easy (fifth place)

Globetrotters Make a New Friend:  Big Easy tells Phil that they have to race better if they’re going to stay in it.  They didn’t click today and while they’re in the top five now, that doesn’t get you anywhere.  Concerning the U-Turn, Flight Time tells Phil that he didn’t want to use it but they were concerned about their race survival.  The Cowboys were a team that has made it to the final three before but the Globetrotters haven’t so this is their second chance to do so.

Phil asks them who the strongest team left is and Big Easy easily answers Zev & Justin. They’ve had the most first-place finishes but it’s clear that Justin has been carrying the team.  Zev has to pick up the slack now that he has the remainder of the Roadblocks to do.  Flight Time isn’t shy about doing what it takes though to beat them and win. 

Phil nods at his pretty Swiss Miss Pit Stop greeter and asks if the Globetrotters like.  Big Easy quickly responds that he’s not blind as he greeted her almost immediately upon getting to the Pit Stop with a “hey beautiful.”  Phil comments to her that Big Easy, even in the midst of racing, can still appreciate beauty.  Big Easy adds that the country is also very beautiful.  Phil builds up the Globetrotters by bragging about how famous they are and I have to say I really can’t tell if she knows what he’s talking about.  Big Easy breaks out some great charming smiles and then Phil turns into a pimp, joking that as the fifth team to arrive, you get to date a greeter!  

Featured Team: Gary & Mallory (fourth place)

More Tears for Mallory: Everyone’s all laughs as Phil tells Gary & Mallory that the greeter Michelle hasn’t seen anyone as cheerful as Mallory yet.  Mallory responds she’s even more happy to see Michelle than vice versa and everyone just starts laughing.  Gary tells Phil that there are still two teams behind them going at it and lets him know that the Cowboys will kill themselves to win and that it will be tough to lose either of them.  Mallory admits she doesn’t want the Cowboys to go yet and that they deserve to be in the final three just as much as she & Gary.  As they start to talk about this being their farthest progress yet, Mallory bursts out into a combination of tears and smiles.  She just doesn’t want the Cowboys to go home!

Phil can’t figure out what won’t make Mallory cry as she’ll cry when they’re in first, cry when they’re in last, and cry when other teams go home.  Mallory literally sounds like she’s losing it as she can’t figure out whether to laugh about it or cry.  Phil admits he’s impressed that they made it through the Speed Bump and are still in it amongst some very competitive teams.  Mallory figures to stay in it they’ll just use Phil as the North Star and always run towards him.  Even Phil thinks that’s a bit much and that he’ll even start crying.  I’m not sure how long the crying laughter goes on as the video mercifully ends.  

Featured Team: Kent & Vyxsin (third place)

Kent’s Redemption:  Kent points out that on the last race when he had to do a delivery task, he forgot his receipts.  So this leg was another moment of redemption for him.  It’s not only a second chance race, it’s a race of healing.  Phil asks if he really feels that he’s been healed and Kent confirms that it truly is a healing experience.  Phil wonders if they’ve been able to move past the yelling at each other by this point.  Kent says that this leg was great as most of the yelling was focused on the luggage and the cart, not to mention the directions to not run over my foot or ankle.

Kent is thrilled that they were able to give the task their all.  Really?  Having Vyxsin pull you around in a cart is not my definition of Kent giving it all, but I digress.  Kent mentions they beat the Cowboys, Globetrotters, and Gary & Mallory, all very strong teams.  He can’t believe that the Globetrotters just didn’t put all the luggage on their backs and finish it in one trip.  Phil starts to chuckle as he sees how good of a mood they are in and as they declare, “last place no more.”  Kent tells Phil how good it feels to be in the upper half and not battle for the last position.  He calls their performance consistent and that it’s not a fluke.  Kent attributes it to their PMA (positive mental attitude) and to their pure hearts.  I attribute it to Vyxsin being a rock star at racing, map freakouts notwithstanding.  

Featured Team: Kisha & Jen (second place)

Kisha & Jen Look Ahead:  Phil asks Kisha & Jen who they are targeting to get out of the race next. Kisha & Jen reply that everybody is on their list.  They don’t care who is in the final three with them as long as they’re a part of it.  They tell Phil that they actually get along with every single team remaining on the race, even Kent & Vyxsin.  Phil admits he thought that the teams were starting to gang up against them but Jen tells him that the problems really were internal to Kent & Vyxsin.  She laughs because it is funny to watch them interact.  Phil asks if Jen can explain Kent & Vyxsin’s relationship and she admits she can’t.  Everyone relents and figures more power to them as long as they’re happy.

Phil rephrases the question about who should be in the final three but it doesn’t trick Kisha & Jen.  Their answer remains that they don’t care.  Jen explains that the girls she coaches in volleyball don’t care who it is they’re about to play and that attitude is what Jen uses now.  Kisha won’t underestimate or overestimate anyone.  Phil asks the greeter Michelle if she thinks Kisha & Jen can win.  Michelle thinks it’s possible but Phil jokingly calls her out as she said the same thing to Zev & Justin.  After some laughs, Jen tells Michelle that she can’t say that about any other teams.  

Featured Team: Zev & Justin (first place)

Best Friends on Top:  After a passport check, Phil asks what Zev & Justin think about their surroundings.  Zev is happy it’s not India and is very impressed with the three countries they saw today (Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland).  Justin admits that when thinking about coming on the race, this was the kind of country they were envisioning going to.  Phil does register that this area is a dramatic change from India and that the last few days have been massively different.

So after completing nine legs, Phil wants them to understand that they’re very close to the end and on paper, they’re the favorites to win it all.  Zev asks if those are Vegas odds and Justin just wants Phil not to tell anyone that they are the favorites.  Phil says that it’s obvious to him and the other teams that they’re the team to beat and thus have a corresponding target on their backs.  Justin figures that now that the U-Turn is behind them, the targets are meaningless. 

Concerning the U-Turn, Zev & Justin explain that they didn’t use it this leg because they didn’t need to.  Since they were ahead, they could avoid having to play the game that way.  Justin does feel bad for anyone who gets U-Turned as the fondue challenge was ridiculous.  His advice is just to ask Carlos for more water.  Justin doesn’t want to talk about the fondue but Zev is more than happy to do so.  There was alcohol in the cheese so it wasn’t the tastiest and then combined with the bread, it made the challenge very difficult to finish.  Justin admits that the music actually helped him finish.  Zev agrees that it was very soothing.

After the Race

Featured Team: Gary & Mallory

Gary & Mallory’s Perfect Balance:  After some humorous hemming and hawing, Mallory tells us that Gary’s slow-and-steady racing methodology isn’t enough to win and you have to add some franticness in order to balance it out.   Gary understands that “the frantic” may work for Mallory but it doesn’t work for him.  He likes taking things calmly and steadily, and if he has to run, he wants to run to a destination and not just run in a panic.  He recognizes that Mallory’s enthusiasm might be done in order to get him to move on from something he’s hung up on, and Mallory silently agrees with a quick widening of her eyes towards us.

Featured Team: Kisha & Jen

Zev Stepping Up:  Kisha has been keeping track of Zev & Justin’s Roadblock performance and right now it is at Justin with 5 and Zev at 3.  Kisha is probably under the impression that one team member can only do up to five or six Roadblocks so she rightly figures that Zev has a lot of Roadblocks in his future.  That deduction leads Kisha & Jen to wonder if Zev & Justin will be as strong a team at that point if they have to count on Zev to complete the Roadblock.  Jen bets Justin is stressing about that now too.  Kisha recognizes that Zev & Justin work great as a team in Detours and regular challenges, but Justin has been carrying them in Roadblocks.  She predicts that in upcoming legs Zev & Justin will end up in the back of the pack once Zev has to take on Roadblock duty.

Featured Team: Jet & Cord

Cowboys’ Farewell:  Cord tells us about his parents and the fact that they’re behind him whether he’s doing good things or disappointing things.  So even if they had been eliminated first from the race or won the million dollars, Cord knows their parents will be proud of both of them.  He also rationalizes that 11 teams start the race out but only one team can win so there will be 10 teams that are going to end up disappointed.

Another factor that has been weighing on their minds is their families back home.  Right when the race started this time, they were counting down the legs and cities left before they were done and could go back home.  It has been tough to be away from their significant others and they are definitely looking forward to going back home as there’s a lot waiting for them there.  Jet agrees that unless he’s in the middle of a task, he is constantly thinking about his wife and daughter back home.  Cord helped make it easier by saying that they were racing back to them but it hasn’t stopped Jet from counting the days till he gets back. 

Featured Teams: Flight Time & Big Easy, Jet & Cord

Cowboys vs. Globetrotters:  Big Easy explains that they did not want to U-Turn the Cowboys, but they had to do it and furthermore it wasn’t a violation of the rules and it’s part of the game.  He’s sure that the Cowboys would have done the same if the positions were reversed.

Over in Cowboyland, Jet thinks that the Globetrotters did it just to get rid of them as they probably felt the Cowboys were their biggest competition.  He’s positive that the Globetrotters wouldn’t be able to beat them in a challenge straight-up, but he admits that he did lose to them in the Roadblock.  Head-to-head though, Jet is sure that they could hold their own against pretty much any other team left.

Back with the Globetrotters, Big Easy continues on that everyone should know that none of the things they’ve done should be taken personally.  If he ever offends someone, he will always apologize.  But in the case of this U-Turn, it was about their race survival and it had to be done.  He hopes that using the U-Turn wasn’t for nothing though and that it ends up yielding worthwhile results, namely getting to the final three and an eventual victory.

Featured Team: Kent & Vyxsin

Vyxsin’s Beautiful Ride:  Vyxsin tells us that she had never driven on an electric bicycle before and it was initially intimidating.  The bike was fast and it didn’t feel like there was much control over it.  She got the hang of it, and despite Liechtenstein being a small country, it was still a nice long drive.  What was cool for Vyxsin though was how beautiful and fun the Roadblock ended up being as everywhere you looked, it seemed like the view was from a postcard.  She was glad to have chosen to do this Roadblock, as she’s a bit better at maps, at least on a good day as she laughs and corrects herself while thinking about Tokyo.  Plus it was just a fun and beautiful experience.

Featured Team: Zev & Justin

Zev & Justin Hide Out:   While waiting around for the bus after completing the Liechtenstein Roadblock, Zev & Justin tell us that they hid in a post office while Gary zoomed by on his bicycle.  A little while later Flight Time also zoomed by and by that point Kisha & Jen were with them.  This was obviously the point when they helped out Flight Time with the answer to the Roadblock.  Zev then tries to clarify that they didn’t try to hide from Gary when he passed by but it just happened as they were in the post office at the time.  They just didn’t go out and give Gary the answer.  Justin lets us know that Flight Time was lucky as if the bus had gotten there a minute sooner, they wouldn’t have been around to help him out and the Globetrotters’ fortunes could have been dramatically different.

Phil’s Video Diary

Episode 9 – Zermatt, Switzerland:  Phil got a good night’s rest on their bus ride to Switzerland.  We see inside the bus and it’s nice and dark inside with plenty of comfortable bunks in it.  No train ride for them!  Phil then heads up on the mountain and takes some amazingly dramatic video of the Alps.  It’s jaw-dropping.  Down in the ski village of Zermatt, Phil is strolling through town and heading to the Detour.  Some facts race across the bottom of the video, including that almost all vehicles allowed in Zermatt are electric in order to prevent any air pollution from distorting their view of the Matterhorn.  Nice! 

Back in Liechtenstein, Phil is figuring out how to make one of the electric bikes run.  He quickly gets it and then straps on a helmet to his head.  He is now ready to get on the bike and record his video for the Liechtenstein Roadblock, which we see again. 

Hobie Barnes now lives in Santa Monica, California after enjoying the hectic Manhattan life for 3.5 years.  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>.