Amazing Race 13 Insider, Episode 2: Easy Come, Easy Go

As we saw in the second episode, common sense and race placement definitely came and went if you were as drastically careless as some of the teams during this leg. Watch the racers come clean, complain, and conspire, sometimes all at the same time in these bonus clips. Yet some, like Mark & Bill (right) show how to run a smart race! Plus, watch Phil’s Video Diary for his hilarious sneak peak of the next leg’s challenge.

At the Pit Stop

A Stunned Anthony & Stephanie: But really, are any of us viewers stunned? Oh boy, immediately they both start blaming things out of their control, cab drivers, and bad beats to explain why they’re last. I seem to recall from the show that it was just poor game play, but I digress. When pressed by Phil as to why they wanted to be on the race, Anthony explains that it came down to wanting to do something adventurous and to get their relationship out of a lull. Stephanie is just disappointed with their performance. In the end though, they both acknowledge that the relationship is a keeper, so all of you out there worried can rest easy as they’re sticking it out. Whew!

Phil, The Matchmaker: While both Marisa & Brooke and Andrew & Dan are still trying to regain the capability to breathe after their race to the Pit Stop, Phil immediately decides to be the guys’ dating agent and hype up their cuteness to the girls. It doesn’t work and the girls smartly retort that it’s more that the guys find them cute. Touché! Phil asks Marisa & Brooke if there was a point in the race today at which that they wanted to throw in the towel. Their answer is the boat-moving Detour, which they mistakenly got driven to. Yet after succeeding, it is the best feeling in the world.

For Andrew & Dan, their high from conquering the Detour was cut short when at the Roadblock, Andrew stumbled. He explains that he translated some of the Portuguese words on the wall as “the last team to arrive will be eliminated” and right near those words was a town name, which proved to be incorrect. Dan correctly reasons that they just overanalyzed the challenge.

Kelly & Christy Are Seriously Irritated: About what, I wonder? Their abysmal and idiotic performance during this leg? Actually, Yes! They confide to Phil how mad they are at the many stupid mistakes they made, especially their failure to read the clues. After a good shower and some food they expect to calm down, but the current status is “mad”! Yet Phil can’t get over how great their makeup looks. Their secret? Waterproof mascara.

Niceness Wins The Day: In this clip we get to see more of the lovefest with the three teams that finished together, Terence & Sarah, Toni & Dallas, and Aja & Ty. Terence recalls for Phil how close the three teams all were at the Roadblock. Sarah tells Phil about their “bad luck” during the day (actually, Sarah, that would be horrible game play, not bad luck) and Dallas’ “class act” in pointing out where the taxi stand was at the Detour.

Phil interrupts Terence & Sarah though to hear what the other four people are thinking, and starts with Toni. She also appreciates the teamwork and good vibes, as does Ty. Phil is curious if Terence & Sarah are doing well. Besides the five-mile walk down the beach, Sarah says they’re much better than they were. Phil wants some dirt though so he focuses on Dallas and wants to know if he’s flirting with the girls, to which Toni protests very strongly. Yet Aja admits that Dallas is an eligible bachelor and there are plenty of single girls, to which Toni again protests.

The Old Fogies Stand Tall: Tina & Ken and Bill & Mark are all out of breath at the Pit Stop after the footrace there. Tina tells Phil how exhausting the boat-moving Detour was for her, especially with her not getting sleep, being sick, and being weak. Phil checks with Ken to see how it is to compete with Tina, who is obviously not a football player. Ken fully recognizes this but respects her competitiveness.

Mark & Bill point out that these two teams are the oldest left in the race, at which they all laugh merrily. Phil notices that Bill doesn’t look so good, which he attributes to their desire to compete with Tina & Ken at the end there. Mark reveals that his leg cramped up right after getting out of the dune buggy on the beach, which also contributed to their inability to win the footrace for first place.

While the group hug continues, Phil gets right to it and wants to know why Bill is here. The answer: To win (I like that answer and it’s the most honest one you can give). Mark then sizes up Ken & Tina and offers a deal: Ken & Tina can win all the upcoming legs but they just have to let Mark & Bill win the last one. Ha! If they asked that of Kelly & Christy (or better yet, wrote that down in a clue), there would probably have been a chance to slip that deal through! Phil then asks Tina why she wants to be there, and hints that it could be to help repair her marriage. On that, Tina is clear: She’s here to win the million.

After-the-Leg Clips

Marisa & Brooke’s Taxi Nightmare: Is this going to be another taxi-blame? Yep! Because Marisa & Brooke feared being last, they decided to skip exchanging their dollars for Brazilian currency and instead just jumped in a cab. At the Detour, they smiled sweetly to the cab driver and gave him ten bucks and ran off to read their Detour clue. The cab driver wasn’t amused though and waved them back for more money, not letting them go until he got it. Apparently 50 dollars was enough this time, but they were shaken up regardless as they are learning the race is very stressful (and taxi drivers want to get paid!).

Ken & Tina Try To Work It Out: Ken recognizes that their communication broke down again. He notes that if Tina treated him the way she treats everyone else and vice versa, their relationship would be marvelous. They both know how to antagonize each other, and he wishes that he instead could be a calming force. Coming in first place shows that as a race team, they did great today, but the bigger question is whether they can have a personal relationship that is loving and fulfilling.

He looks over to Tina and apologizes to her and tells her that he wants it to work, yet Tina shuts him down. Tina points out that she has been firmly committed to this but it’s his commitment that is sorely lacking to making this work, so she’s skeptical. He’s the one who has to show that he wants this to work, and not convey that he’s “one foot in, one foot out, one hand on the door” in this relationship, which is how it’s always been. If he can put forth that extra effort to get her trust back, then the healing can begin to happen. He closes the conversation that the antagonism on both sides just needs to stop. Amen.

Time To Say Goodbye: Not the video to Andrea Bocelli’s “Bellagio” song. Rather, it’s more of what we saw from Anthony & Stephanie after they were eliminated. Will more be said about “he still has his looks”? Anthony tells us that the race provided excitement that their relationship desperately needed as well as a way to alleviate the routine it had entered. And as teammates, they got to see a different side of each other and it confirms that they are a good team, in life. Awwww. Even though the race ended soon and they only got to see one country , it was all worth the positive effect on their relationship.

Andrew & Dan Have A Problem: Andrew & Dan enjoy the company of all the teams, except for Kelly & Christy. It turns out that the divorcees want all the attention and are arrogant, and worst of all, their accents are very annoying. Andrew wishes for the divorcees to be stuck on a separate plane that takes them to the North Pole, which seems reasonable. But it seems that the crux of this antagonism comes because Kelly & Christy call them Danjo & Superbad, and this slight has the guys lining up the divorcees for a swift U-Turn in the future. Impending future drama and set-up for a much-maligned team?! Excellent. I’m in.

Extra Scenes

Anthony & Stephanie Fume: After trying to help push-start a taxi at the airport, Anthony & Stephanie are exhausted, annoyed, and in last place. Stephanie reveals that they had mapped out their exit strategy upon arrival at the airport, but it all went wrong when all the teams made the wrong turn in the airport and couldn’t find the exit to the taxis. After that, they took the wrong taxi and had a driver who didn’t know how to pop the clutch. Anthony seems most upset that the driver “folded under the pressure,” being unable to even open the trunk (in addition to the clutch debacle) for them to get their bags.

The video cuts to a little later and Anthony is still dwelling on the driver’s inability to push-start the car, which even Stephanie is getting a little tired of because as she rightfully notes, what if the car stalled again? Wouldn’t it require another push-start? The answer is yes. They bring back up their horrible luck with taxis as all of them so far in Brazil have seemed to be on the edge of functioning.

Tina Scolds Ken: After passing Terence & Sarah on the road, this video shows even more of Tina’s comments about Ken’s unwillingness to even see what was wrong and how this is going to come back to haunt them. Ken doesn’t agree and Tina won’t let it go. She is concerned that one of them was hurt or they needed a taxi. (I can just barely grant her it first point, but as both Terence & Sarah were in the street waving cars down, that wouldn’t have seemed likely. And to her second point, you want other teams to be behind you!)

She wonders why Ken is so cutthroat now, which he denies and rightly states that Terence & Sarah were looking for a cab. She does not believe that though and “knows” they already had a taxi, as everyone had a taxi. (At this point, Tina obviously assumes everyone has a fair amount of common sense – wait’ll she sees on TV how Terence & Sarah do in challenges when they are under pressure.)

Kelly & Christy Have Had It: The divorcees are really excited about finding a fairly affordable cab after the first cab driver tried to charge them way too much. Christy explains that they are going to let the other teams waste their money and the money they save in deals can go towards buying champagne. Um, yeah. This clip is clearly before the beginning of the second leg, though, as they both claim to be ready to play to win! Yet Kelly gets her cattiness on after some silent reflection, immediately hoping not to get stuck on the plane with Nick & Starr, who Kelly calls out on her “mid-region.”

The actual funny jab comes at the expense of Starr’s last name (Spangler) and the girls get a good laugh out of wondering what Nick & Starr’s parents were thinking when naming her Starr Spangler. I have to agree. The cattiness turns to Nick next, as they remark on Nick’s prancing like a ballerina and the fact he used the women’s port-a-potty in the jungle, which apparently was worse than the men’s! Gross…

Kelly & Christy Have Had It Again: Right before the leg begins, Kelly & Christy remark that they initially liked Ken & Tina because they both came across as sweet, smart, a long-married couple, etc. But Kelly & Christy have learned that Ken & Tina have really only been married five years and the kids are from previous marriages. Both divorcees question why Ken & Tina would lie about that and they refuse to trust them anymore. Thankfully, Kelly & Christy are just going to be genuine, meaning “friendly and nice.” I wonder if the other teams got this memo from Kelly & Christy?

Nick & Starr’s Dead Weight: The rope-climb tower from the first leg looms over Nick & Starr as they wait and wonder where their alliancemates Ken & Tina have gone. As the seconds tick by, Nick realizes that Ken & Tina could already be on their way to the airport (you think?). Next, we see them loading into a cab and Starr notices Tina in the distance. She shouts for them and no sooner does she do that before they both realize it’s not Tina but actually Terence & Sarah! Nick & Starr quickly jump in the cab and go.

Reflecting on their inaction, they both realize waiting like that is frustrating and a serious time-drain. Further, the lesson has been learned that they need to race for themselves and give up on the alliance nonsense! Although it seems Nick holds out hope that assistance can still be passed between them and Ken & Tina. Enough already.

Toni & Dallas Make a Second Opinion: Dallas notes that on the plane ride, he learned that Terence & Sarah are actually friendly people, but on the race those two put their game face on, which is alright with him. Toni comments that while flying, it seems everyone learns to let things go, at least during that moment. The fact that on the plane no one can get in front of the other in terms of race placement means people can relax and get to know each other, which Dallas really likes.

Bill, The Language Guy: Bill hopes the other teams have language problems, and while he isn’t without problems, he can definitely get by. He also just likes trying to communicate. Mark is embarrassed though as half his family can speak Spanish fluently and he doesn’t know a lick of it. Bill equates their good taxi skills not to luck but with the effort to communicate and make the drivers his friend. Mark lets the real secret out: it’s just that Bill is damn good-looking!

Easy Come, Easy Go: Ty tells Aja while on the dune-buggy that he found a twenty-dollar bill but lost it immediately on the beach and couldn’t find it. Aja reveals that her bra is the best safe-deposit location, which I think Ty will remember for the next time! Unfortunately Ty begins to wonder if it was actually one of their twenties, and Aja starts frantically digging through their bag. Ty quiets for a little and Aja finishes her search, zips up the big, and makes that blown-out cheek, raised-eyebrow face that lets you know some bad news is coming your way. “Was it our money?” “Um … I think so.” D’oh!

Flash forward to after the race and Ty tells us that he had made a concerted effort to put that “found” twenty in a safe spot before the dune buggy ride but panicked when the other teams started zipping by them. Then that nagging feeling hit him like we saw in the first half of the video. Aja grins sheepishly the entire time he’s telling the story and he states that Aja just loses things all the time. Ty then launches into a speech on how he’s very methodical and responsible, but because he had to carry both their bags, he passed the money pouch to her. Aja no longer looks amused at this point.

Terence & Sarah Don’t Hate Everyone: Sarah reveals that she & Terence were very willing to work with Ken & Tina and Nick & Starr because they were the teams that kept up with them. They don’t like them, though, because they’re just not good sports about the race. But on the evening after the first Pit Stop, they got to know and like Bill & Mark and Kelly & Christy (that makes one team who likes them!). Kelly is super awesome because she dug into her pack for Neosporin for Terence which equates into “good people.”

Elimination Station

Anthony & Stephanie Eliminated: Hey! It’s Anita & Arthur in their Acapulco bungalow! She’s writing in a journal and trying to recap their experiences but just can’t find the right words, but Arthur reassures her that with time that the words will come. To the camera, Arthur reveals that it’s hard to say that they don’t want to be in such a beautiful place, but they both would much rather be out on the race still.

Now it’s the next morning and Anita & Arthur have obviously been told it’s time to await the arrival of the next eliminated team. Anita is nervous about whom it is going to be, but they hear the arrival of a vehicle and quickly go to the balcony to see who it is. Upon seeing that it’s Anthony & Stephanie, they run down and happily embrace them. Anita is surprised it was them, but they’re happy to have the company. Champagne is popped and they have a great dinner together, discussing who may be the winner. Their money is on Terence & Sarah, due to their ability to give and take rudeness as they are from Manhattan. (We’ll see.)

The following morning, the four go down to the local square and walk around the Sunday festival. Anthony realizes that his & Stephanie’s lack of travel experience factored into their loss, especially when stacked against the other teams. Stephanie recognizes that the language barrier also prevents an ability to really experience the culture (which is a common theme most racers have said past and present, as you are so focused on the race that there is little to no time to actually enjoy what you’re racing through!). Both are surprised and happy to find how well they get along with Anita & Arthur as well as the fact that their mood has definitely lifted, and the clip ends with the four of them having a nice relaxing time on the Acapulco beach at dusk.

Phil’s Video Diary

(Most Entertaining Video Award) Episode 2 – La Paz, Bolivia: This is the first time Phil has had a chance to shoot anything since the race actually started, and he’s high up on a road in Bolivia overlooking the packed city and the volcano Mt. Illimani. We then see him outside a building that Phil states is the Pit Stop for the upcoming third leg of the race, in which the contestants will have to fight a woman (Cholita), at which he chuckles. Some quick footage of some Cholita wrestling, with Phil in attendance with eyebrow raised. (With disapproval? With amusement? Who knows!?) Phil then interviews folks who are in bleachers in the arena, who turn out to be fighters from around South America and they are all dressed in the colorful Latin ‘Nacho Libre’ style.

We then get to meet Martha, a famous fighter who Phil assumes everyone is afraid of. She explains to him that all the men are excited about the competition aspect and aren’t scared at all. Some footage of the female wrestlers warming up in the ring, and finally Phil decides it’s his time to have a go at it, especially since he doesn’t normally get a chance to try the challenges out. He tries to butter Martha up by flattering her eyes but I just think this won’t end well! He then challenges her to, “You wanna fight me?” to which she quickly responds, “Sure, you’re no problem.” Ha!

Phil’s jacket comes off and the fight bell is rung! No sooner does it start than Martha kicks Phil and promptly chases him around the ring, with the footage now sped up to Three Stooges speed. Phil is no fool and after one circuit of the ring with a crazy Bolivian wrestler-chick chasing him, he hightails it out of the ring. Priceless.

Ah, but wait, there’s more! Phil flips(!) back into the ring and tumbles his way back to Martha, who after letting him bounce off the ropes a few times promptly body slams him into the ring. This has to be seen to be believed! Phil’s last words to Martha: “Thank you, (gasp, gasp) Senorita, for beating me up, I really enjoyed it.”

Phil then challenges Barry the sound guy to see if he’s up for the Martha Challenge, so Phil takes over the boom mic equipment and Barry takes on Martha. Not surprisingly, the results are the same as Martha makes quick work of Barry and body-slams him too. I think the contestants are going to have quite a time with ol’ Martha here. With that, this episode of Phil’s Video Diary concludes and we are left to wonder where we’ll pick up with Phil next!