Physical cliff hanger

The Amazing Race, Episode Seven, Season 21

Karl Rove (NYT)

Good heavens, the United States managed to get through a presidential election on time – OK, Karl Rove isn’t sure it’s over – but the powers that be at Amazing Race central couldn’t finish this episode in the required 60 minutes.

A “to be continued” sign flashed on the screen and time stood still.

Things will pick up next week, I suspect, with three teams beginning another leg in Moscow, one team still searching for a lost passport, and two teams out on the course, having not completed the first leg.

Library Card

Trey and Lexi were the first to finish tonight, just as they were last week.  They were efficient throughout, even mastering the Russian alphabet enough to check out four books at the Russian State Library.

The only question they didn’t answer was whether Trey would propose to Lexi, his longtime girlfriend. She wants a ring on her finger “pretty soon.” He seems to be dragging his feet.

The Chippendales, Jaymes and James, and the twins, Natalie and Nadiya, are in second and third, each pair having successfully (sort of) completed the main challenge.

The test required them to put on hideous swimming caps and do vigorous water ballet with the next generation of Russian synchro stars.

Swimmers

It may have been the most enjoyable challenge since the bodybuilding test in Season 19. Remember how retired educators Bill and Cathi flexed with the best of them? They proved that age doesn’t matter when there are one million bucks on the line.

Rockers James and Abba also synced without need of flotation devices, though it was close.

Whatever, they were the fourth team to finish. Or were they?

Alas, the good friends had left their belongings and Abba’s passport in a cab. Phil made it clear that without the passport they can’t finish. Next week, they’ll be looking.

Meanwhile, the Beekman Boys are still at the pool, trying desperately to get in sync. “We’re goat farmers, not synchronized swimmers,” Josh explained unnecessarily.

Abbie and Ryan

Ryan and Abbie waited poolside as the Boys swam.

The dating divorcees had had no trouble themselves with the swimming challenge. However, they had earlier promised to finish with the Boys, having made a pact when they were stuck in Warsaw on their way to Moscow, done in by a bad connection out of Istanbul.

So things look dire for them, though they don’t look that great for the rockers. We’ll see.

Overheard:

Trey and Lexi

Lexi: It has a funny name to it; I should have wrote it down.

Turkish cab driver to the twins: I love you.

Ryan: This ain’t fun anymore. … I feel like a dead man walking right now.

James: You get a couple of big oaks like us in the water, and you don’t know what is going to happen.

Russian cab

Natalie: We fight like a married couple, but we make up like little kids.

James: Kids, don’t leave your stuff in cabs.

Order of finish so far:

Trey and Lexi

Jaymes and James

Natalie and Nadiya

Not done:

James and Abba

Abbie and Ryan

Josh and Brent

That’s it,

Jim