Mar 17, 2011, Ep 4: Drama on the Orient Express

The Amazing Race 18 Secret Scenes, Episode 4:  Drama on the Orient Express

The drama is here on this super-sized leg as Jen & Kisha are back to their bickering ways, Justin snaps at Margie & Jaime, and while on the train to Lijiang, Jet realizes that the “facilities” may just be that silver bedpan in the room.  Also find out who else got hopelessly lost on the drive to the airport in Tokyo as well as who likes to save money on taxis (hint: they’re pictured here!).  Read on for all this and more!

This week’s videos are nearly all extra race footage as obviously we didn’t have an end to the leg and no one was given an opportunity to chat with Phil at this week’s Pit Stop.  We do get a Video Diary from Phil though!

Extra Race Footage

Featured Teams: Zev & Justin, Jaime & Cara, Margie & Luke, Jet & Cord

Justin Calls Out Jaime:  At the Chinese zodiac Roadblock, we are watching the action along with the members who are sitting this challenge out.  Tensions seem to be running high as Justin snaps at Margie while at the same time Jaime is lecturing Flight Time on the fairness of him shouting out assistance to Big Easy.  Justin defends Big Easy and claims Jaime is helping Cara too.  An awkward pause ensues.  Margie can’t figure out why Justin snapped at her and he apologizes as he only heard someone say something and thought it was her.  He likely heard Jaime.

A little while later, Justin murmurs to Jet that he doesn’t have problem helping other teams out and he’s certainly not going to yell at other teams if they want to provide assistance.  Justin finds it hypocritical to say that people can’t do that.  He admits that they (he & Zev) helped the Globetrotters a few legs ago and he’s aware that both Jaime & Cara and Margie & Luke were aware of that.  Yet he didn’t yell at them when they were helping each other out. 

Featured Team: Margie & Luke

Margie & Luke Lost in Tokyo:  Margie & Luke are driving to the airport and right then Margie realizes that they had been going the wrong way as they just did a u-turn.   She can’t understand how that even happened.  It turns out they had been driving the wrong direction for almost an hour too.  So Kent & Vyxsin weren’t alone in getting utterly lost.  Margie & Luke just recovered faster.  She is frustrated though as they’ve now been driving for over five hours and they’re still not at the airport.  Just how far of a drive was this?  Margie shows us her roadmap and is amused at how difficult it is to plot a route to the airport.  Margie sounds like Vyxsin as she notes that there is only four hours left until their flight leaves.  She chuckles as she has seen teams on the race get so hopelessly lost and she can’t understand how that happens.  Now she knows.

Featured Team: Jet & Cord

Cowboys’ Crib:  In a show of cross-network branding, Jet & Cord host The Amazing Race Cribs, as they show us their quarters on the train to Lijiang, China.  We are shown that they grabbed the two top bunks.  Their bottom bunkmates have yet to show up.  Cord is impressed that there’s a decent amount of space as well as lighting and windows.  There’s even a bedpan.  Ew, if that’s really what it is.  Jet is relieved he went to the bathroom before he got on the train.  As they prepare to get settled in, Jet leans in and asks Cord if he thinks that really is a bedpan.  Moments later, Cord is up in his bunk but Jet is inspecting his bunk’s sheets and isn’t sure they’re actually clean.  Cord doesn’t care but Jet finds a hair in his and while that seems to ruffle Jet a little, Cord asks him to get over it.  Now they just wish they could figure out how to turn off the room’s light.

Featured Team: Kent & Vyxsin

Family on His Mind:  It’s daylight on the road somewhere in Japan, so you know that Kent & Vyxsin have been on the road now for hours.  Kent appears sad and he tells us that his dad is on his mind.  He was hoping to make his dad proud, if he is actually watching.  These thoughts are what came to him while he’s driving in the slow traffic-filled roads going to the airport. We see that Vyxsin looks on the verge of bawling again.  She tells us that Kent’s dad is one of the most optimistic and joyful people she’s ever met in her life.  Vyxsin is certain that Kent’s did is proud of him.  That only seems to yield a further resignation in Kent’s face.

Vyxsin recognizes that it’s easy to be upbeat when you’re doing well, but it takes a lot more to keep your chin up when you’re having a frustrating leg like they’re having.  She’s amazed at Kent’s positive attitude and knows that Kent’s dad would be proud of him for that.  Vyxsin gets very emotional at this point and is doing all she can to not sob in the backseat of the car.  She gently massages Kent’s shoulder as he continues to drive them along.  A few moments of silence pass and as this is an emotional scene, it’s hard not to notice that Kent has a huge drop of tear (or snot) hanging from his nose.  All of a sudden he realizes it too and Vyxsin hooks him up with a tissue.  

Featured Team: Kent & Vyxsin

Morning of Misery:  Kent & Vyxsin are driving through Japan and beating themselves up over the fact that not only did the other teams beat them to the airport, they beat up themselves too.  Vyxsin crashes her head into the many maps she has splayed out to hide her tears of frustration.  She gets pissy and starts declaring that they suck and she wishes her dad was here to help them out.  Kent refuses to give up and won’t throw in the towel like she is.  Passive-Aggressive Vyxsin declares that’s because she was the one who screwed everything up.  She’s still amazed that she didn’t see that the compass was pointing in the wrong direction for over an hour.  It’s pointless to have a compass but ignore what it’s telling you.  A final apology closes out this video of despair.

Featured Team: Ron & Christina

Father and Daughter Time:  On the Lijiang train, Ron & Christina have made friends with their lower bunkmates.  They’ve been educated by the Chinese couple that it’s best to bring your own food as what the train serves isn’t good.  Luckily for Ron & Christina, the couple has graciously shared their food with them, including a lot of vegetables and some “moonshine.”  Christina is excited to get some rest as the train ride is about seven hours and the last 12 hours have been extremely taxing.  Ron wants to be on his best behavior so he’s going to use some homemade remedies to keep his snoring to a minimum so as not to offend the bunkmates.  Ron is thrilled to get a chance to take Christina to Lijiang as it is known for being a Shangri-La.  This time he gets to spend with his daughter is a wish come true.  He hopes that they can keep the frustrating arguments down to a minimum.

Featured Teams: Flight Time & Big Easy, Zev & Justin

Taxi Buddies:  Big Easy explains that it’s easier to stay in the front of the pack by sharing taxis.  Justin laughs at that as it’s clear to see that Justin is bent with his legs over Big Easy while Zev is just smushed up against the rear window.  Justin does admit that there’s a time to compete and a time to cooperate, and this is one of the latter.  Big Easy also figures that they can save money sharing a cab, so when you are stuck on a train, you’ll have money to get something to eat.  Justin figures that they can keep warm all snuggled together in a taxi too.  Big Easy laughs as apparently Luke handily pushed Big Easy out of the way earlier.  He hasn’t been pushed like that in a long time, but he’s decided not to let it bother him.

Featured Team: Jaime & Cara

The Never Ending Leg:  While on the Lijiang train, Cara vents that this leg has been exhausting.  Not only this leg though, as pretty much all the legs so far have had extensive amounts of traveling just to get to the first challenge.  Jaime figures that on average it’s taken about 2-3 days just to get to their first challenge each time.  On just this leg alone, they drove all morning to get to the airport, took two flights to get to China, and now there’s an 8-hour train ride to Lijiang.  After that, then they have to get on the shuttle bus and run on foot to the their first clue.

Featured Team: Kisha & Jen

Jen & Kisha Go At It:  Jen glares at us and is upset that since leaving the airport (in China?), she has no idea where they’re going.  Plus she’s getting yelled at by Kisha.  It’s hypocritical and she’s over it.  Kisha is apparently yelling at Jen to go get a map but no one knows where it is that they’re going.  Jen wishes they had just stayed at the airport to do this research, but it looks like they’re at a hotel now.  We can hear Kisha off-camera getting directions but before we can see her, Jen points out that what was supposed to be a five-minute walk has turned into a 25-minute run.  She’s not amused.

Finally at the train station, Kisha boldly tells us that Jen has an attitude problem because they weren’t doing things her way.  This is the Kisha & Jen I remember from the last time!  Jen rolls her eyes and turns away.  It turns out that they had to run to train station from where they were as there wasn’t any cab service at that time of the night.  Kisha can’t see why Jen is still upset though as she can see that every other team is there at the train station buying tickets too.  

Now in the train, Kisha is still all smiles as she explains that there is a communication problem but it’s not due to her, it’s that Jen is still having an attitude.  Jen has had it and tells Kisha that she can’t wait for her to see the tape of this.  Kisha has been mean to her all day and all through the train station and even talking about it gets Jen emotionally upset.  Kisha denies it and a heated exchange of “you don’t listen” and “it’s all but this, but that” ensues, finally ending when Jen storms out of the cabin.  I feel bad for who I assumed were strangers in the top bunks but I can see it’s Gary & Mallory.  

Cut to apparently after the leg and Kisha attributes their fight to perception and interpretation of what is said and heard.  Kisha doesn’t understand how Jen doesn’t even want to talk about things the next morning as it isn’t healthy.  It’s not Kisha’s style but when Jen says the conversation is over, there’s not much to do except let Jen blow off her steam.  Jen’s take on it is surprising as she admits that it was stupid of her to get upset as she knows she was more upset with herself for blowing up.  She just holds in a lot of emotions and if Kisha says the wrong or right thing, it’ll set her off. 

Featured Teams: Jet & Cord, Gary & Mallory

Enjoying the Ride:  On the gondola up to the top of the mountain, Gary tells Jet & Cord that he isn’t sure if it’s the altitude or the age that’s getting to him.  Jet & Cord assure him it’s the altitude.  Mallory starts to look for the map that they picked up at the ticket booth below while Jet & Cord look on.  Cord jokes to Jet that it’s no surprise that Gary & Mallory are doing so well… they’re racing with maps!  Gary chuckles though as he asks them if they saw Gary & Mallory’s performance in their season as it was blind adherence to a bad map that ended up with them 300-400 kilometers in the wrong direction.

Featured Team: Ron & Christina

Ron Helps Out:  At the Pit Start, Christina tells us that their strategy for this leg of the race is to work alone and not help others.  They excitedly head out and as they pass a gas station, Gary & Mallory, who left before them, flag them down.  At first Ron isn’t sure it is them and Christina tells him to ignore them as she only heard someone shouting.  Ron does see that it’s Mallory and decides to pull in and see what Gary & Mallory want.  Christina laughs as their strategy from just a few minutes ago has already been aborted.  As they talk about what has to be booked, Christina insists that they should just get out of this neck of the woods and to the airport.  Gary asks if they can all work together and Christina wants to be a jerk and tell him no, but she can’t and relents, letting Gary & Mallory follow them to the airport.   Back in the privacy of their car, Christina blames Ron for helping others.

Phil’s Video Diary

Episode 4 – Lijiang, China:  Phil needs to drop off his bag at the hotel in Lijiang and then they’ll be on their way to the Yak waterfall.  He explains that he loves it here but it’s a very touristy place, which he shows us as we see tour bus after tour bus depositing people at the water’s edge.  Lots of people come from the cities just so they can get their picture taken on a yak.  We see the clip from the show where Phil gets his picture taken, and then it cuts to immediately after where Phil thanks the photographer.  Phil then takes one of the green shuttles and shows us that he’s going to snack on some barbecued yak.  He admits he feels a little uncomfortable eating something that he just took a picture with.  Phil insists on sharing his yak with Barry the Sound Guy, who we haven’t seen since a few seasons ago when Phil stopped doing these diaries.  Barry is definitely a fan of yak-cabobs.   Finally they reach the Charm Roadblock and Phil is amazed at how beautiful all those thousands of charms are. 

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>.

 

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