Amazing Race, 31, Episode 7
Uganda/Switzerland
The amazing racers went high and Rachel Reilly went low and it was dramatic, and, wonderful, and well, inconclusive.
Yes, Episode 7 of the battle of the reality stars moved from Uganda to the Swiss Alps, and proved to be a non-elimination outing.
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| Nicole and Victor listen to Rachel and Elissa |
Nicole Franzel and Victor Arroyo, who have been so good for so long, were off their game and hopped on the mat seventh and last. Host Phil Keoghan then let them know they were still alive.
Alive to do what?
Well, to try and win and to be on perpetual guard against Rachel, who, along with her sister and partner Elissa Slater, is not, surprise, trustworthy.
Why do I say that?
It all had to do with some seventh-grade-cafeteria intrigue at
the start of the episode.
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| The hard sell |
Basically, Rachel tried to set up Nicole and Victor to U-Turn Team Fun, Becca Droz and Floyd Pierce, should a U-Turn come up in the episode.
In other words, she wanted another team to do her dirty work and eliminate her strongest adversary.
Victor wasn’t falling for Rachel’s tricks, and he rushed off to tell the other kids in the cafeteria that Reilly was up to something.
“We thought we could trust them,” allowed Jamal Zadran of
the Afghanimals. “Now they’re going to sort of backstab us. My heart is broken.”
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| Jamal |
All of this came to a climax at the end with Rachel and Elissa defending themselves against Nicole’s charge that they were, well, sneaky. Rachel was shocked, shocked.
Yes, but…
OK, so Rachel is untrustworthy and devious – even her own sister is appalled at her conduct. She has a lot of baggage. Who can forget her tearful decision not to gain an advantage by having her head shaved in Season 20. To hear her say "I need hair to be pretty" and other things, click here.
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| Season 20, Rachel keeps her hair |
But she’s a veteran of two third-place finishes on the Race, both with her now husband Brendon Villegas; she also has won Big Brother once.
With her finish in this episode, she has tied (with the Cowboys and the Globetrotters) the record for most completed legs (31) of the Race. Don’t ever count her out.
The Acrophobia card:
Switzerland is mountainous, don’t you know? Thus, the
Nicole was terrified and so was I. It was not an episode for the faint of heart.
Eye candy:
For a while, it looked like Korey Kuhl and Tyler Oakley were just going to quit the race and run off with Sebastian, their rappelling guide. “He was a tall drink of water, bearded, whew,” Tyler gushed.
Not to worry. They stayed the course and finished first for the second time in a row. They’re good.
New man:
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| Colin and Christie |
I’ve been distrustful of Colin Guinn’s rebranding from an angry dude the last time out on the Race to a Zen master this time.
But the guy has remained consistently calm. “I think we should all just hold hands and literally you’ll feel the love of the universe,” he told the other racers who were in a tizzy because of Rachel’s scheming.
And, heavens, Colin and his life partner, Christie Woods, are doing very, very well. They finished second in this episode and have never been lower than third.
Peer pressure
Bret LaBelle, a police sergeant who’s teamed with fellow Survivor alum Chris Hammond, seems overly concerned about the abuse he could receive from his follow police officers at home in Massachusetts.
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| Chris and Bret |
It might get a little rough in the break room, given the fact that Bret got winded at one point while running and had to let Chris carry his backpack. Then, too, he was also scared of heights. But keep in mind that back home he has been honored for bravery in the line of duty.
Ah, the views
OK, all the heights stuff was frightening, but the mountains sure were pretty and a little confusing: “Is this still an Alp even when the snow melts?” Elissa wondered. The question wasn’t answered.
Let down
Thought you’d never ask: There was no U-Turn, so all the plotting was wasted. Or maybe not. All the other racers are now aligned against Rachel and Elissa. Bring it on.
Overheard
Rachel: Nicole, your brand is watching, just remember that.
Floyd: I peed myself just watching them do it.
Victor: Nicole’s a lot nicer than I am..I’m not going to work with Rachel on this.
Sebastian: You guys together?
Tyler: No, we’re straight, can’t you tell?
Colin: You can just feel the energy coming out of these mountains.
Bret: The Reilly sisters, they’re the ones who like to stir the pot.
Leo: Unfortunately, the world doesn’t wait for the Afghanimals,
Tyler: After all that conversation about U-turns and road blocks, and conversations on trains, It all ended up being nothing.
Order of finish:
1) Tyler and Korey
2) Christie and Colin
3) Becca and Floyd
4) Leo and Jamal
5) Rachel and Elissa
6) Bret and Chris
7) Nicole and Victor
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