To survive the Amazing Race, watch your steps

By Jim Memmott

Amazing Race All Stars, Season 24, Episode 7

Sri Lanka/Rome – When in Rome, do what the Romans do.

Dress up as gladiators and get in a sword fight with the largest man in the universe.

Or race remote-controlled miniature chariots.

Or count the Spanish steps and translate some Roman numerals.

Or tell the world that the trajectory of your results this season is like a sinusoidal projection.

Whoa Nellie? Yes, that’s what Brendon said as he analyzed his and Rachel’s finishes.

I think that means they’ve had their ups and down, early success and then a streak of back-of-the pack performances, and then success again in this episode when they took first.

Credit Rachel’s personality change – she remains upbeat, a complete reversal from her Season-20 self.  Credit Brendon’s smarts. He did the math at the Spanish Steps, and he was savvy enough to get help translating those Roman numerals.

Their good performance was not that surprising; like nearly all of the competitors in this All-Star season, they had done well in a previous season.

Similarly, the elimination of Jessica and John (and, by association their pool sponsor, Dennis Doell), was no shocker either. The engaged couple’s

Jessica and John

credentials as All-Stars were always suspect, as they famously went out on Season 22 when John refused to use an Express Pass that would have gotten them out of trouble. And their highest finish this season was a third in Episode Six.

But they actually were doing OK in this episode, beginning with a spirited performance in the gladiator challenge. Jessica especially got into the part.

However, one bad cab ride can do you in, and that happened to J and J, as their cabbie seemed to be the only person in Rome not to have heard of the Spanish Steps.

Even then, they almost overtook the Globetrotters at the end.

Spanish Steps

“I don’t know if we’ve ever had a season where the teams are this close running in to the mat,” said host Phil Keoghan.

Speaking of finishes: Country’s Caroline and Jennifer easily overcame the roadblock they had been hit with for finishing last in the previous non-elimination episode. And then they helped the father-and-son team of Dave and Connor solve the Spanish Steps challenge.

In gratitude the men let C and J step ahead of them for second place. “We love these girls,” Dave said.

A little under the radar, the Cowboys took fourth and the Afghanimals fifth, though neither team seemed in danger.

Flight Time and Big Easy

Not so, Flight Time and Big Easy. The Globetrotters had another bumpy outing, Flight Time neglecting to read the clue closely at the Spanish Steps.

This was their fourth sixth place finish in a row, not a good omen, especially because a sixth place finish the next time around would be dead last.

Overheard:

Rachel:  Like the stock market, our stock is going up.

Leo: Oh, my Roman dreams are coming true.

Rachel: We absolutely love dressing up

John: I’ve done martial arts growing up. I took a tae kwon do class in college.

Mammoth gladiator: Are you ready, slave?

Flight Time: Our (toy) chariot driver had a bad day; if he had been a real person he would have been on his way to the emergency room. He probably would have died.

Jennifer: The (toy) horses were fine, that’s all we cared about.

Caroline: Who cares about the man?

Leo: I watched all four seasons of Spartacus.

Order of finish: 

1) Brendon and Rachel 

2) Caroline and Jennifer

3) Dave and Connor

4) Cord and Jet

5) Jamal and Leo

6) Flight Time and Big Easy

7) Jessica and John

Next week: A Double U-Turn!!