By Jim Memmott
Amazing Race, Season 25, Episode 5
Copenhagen/Marrakesh, Morocco – As I'm sure I've said, karma can count, at least on the Amazing Race.
Keith
and Whitney, a long-engaged couple hoping to finance a wedding with the cool
million that comes with ultimate victory, earned some bad bad karma in
this episode.
 |
| Keith and Whitney |
What awful thing did they
do?
Cover your eyes. They
butted ahead in line, elbowing out the tempestuous mother/daughter team of Shelley
and Nici.
I know, I know. People
have committed far worse sins on the Race,
but payback came quickly in Marrakesh. Before you knew it, Keith and Whtney
were finishing last and getting sent home by host Phil Keoghan.
“Karma takes care of
lovely people,” concluded Shelley. “He (Keith) played dirty and it came
back and bit him.”
Shelley should know, as
she and Nici made the defeat a reality by hitting Keith and Whitney with a
“U-Turn,” forcing them to go back and do another challenge.
 |
| The Wadsworth Homestead |
Thus, the race was lost
and K and W (who had been backed by Team Walkworth in this pool) were left to wonder when they would ever have the money to pay for
a wedding.
Shameless product
placement: The lovebirds might check out the Wadsworth Homestead, a Geneseo, N.Y.,
bridal spot operated by two thirds of Team Walkworth. It’s gorgeous.
It’s reasonable. You don’t need a million.
Back to the blog.
It was good to leave
clean-as-a-whistle Scandinavia and land in the colorful chaos of Marrakesh, where
the contestants had to do everything from setting up a food stand in a crowded
square to shaving some smelly animal hides.
 |
| Marrakesh market |
And given that it was the
fifth episode, it was obvious that villains, heroes and fan favorites were
beginning to emerge.
Villains? Well, maybe we
have to do some recalculating.
The married dentists, Jim
and Misti, once so dominant, self-assured and easy to loathe were dreadful for
the second week in a row in large part because Misti is in a mist when it comes
to reading clues.
 |
| Link to Dr. Misti's bio |
It took her nine times
holding a tea tray with two hands before she figured out that the rules required
just one hand. I really hope she checks those x-rays twice before she drills a
molar.
Heroes? How about Adam and
Bethany, the married surfers? Good heavens, even though she only has one arm,
she takes on any task without complaint.
Fan favorites? I like the
bicycle messengers, Alli and Kym, who won for the second week in a row,
laughing all the way to the finish line. And yes, they were lucky to once again
encounter a challenge involving a bicycle. I know; the Race is rigged.
 |
| Link to Elaine's dysfunctional dance |
I’m not sure what to make
of Shelley and Nici making nice. It was so much fun when they did the parent/child-dysfunction dance.
“Blood is thicker than
water. Do not worry about us,” Shelley told Phil in one of those statements
that could come back to haunt her. For the sake of theater, let’s hope so.
Overheard:
Jim:
Team Domination (is) back in the house.
Jim (to Misti): If you get it, you get it; if you don’t I will.
Maya:
We’re embracing the culture here … It’s not bad.
Adam: It's just like shaving my back.
Whitney:
I can’t even say the words that come to mind with I think of Shelley and Nici.
Whitney: If we had just
picked the other detour we probably would have been first and won that honeymoon,
Keith: We’ll just have to
pay for it now.
Order of finish
1) Alli and Kym
2) Adam and Bethany
3) Te Jay and Tim
4) Shelley and Nici
5) Brooke and Robbie
6) Jim and Misti
7) Amy and Maya
