Amazing Race, Season 32, Episode 3
By Jim Memmott
Manaus, Brazil – Good deeds go punished on The Amazing Race. But they go rewarded as well, as was shown along the Amazon, the Race visiting the river for the first time.
You probably remember that in Episode 2, Alana Folsom and Leo Brown, self-proclaimed nerds, gave sisters Kaylynn and Hayley Williams a tip at a crucial time in the race.
OK, you’ve already forgotten that good deed.
But racers Will Jardell and James Wellington remembered.
They (Will left, James right) punished the Nerds by slapping a U-Turn upon them, forcing them to do an additional task and possibly sending them into elimination.
But speaking of good karma, Kaylynn and Hayley also remembered, and, just as the Nerds had done something good for them, they did something good for the Nerds. They threw a U-Turn at the father/son duo of Jerry and Frank Eaves, forcing them to double back, as well, and lose too much time.
Thus, Alana and Leo were saved, and Frank and Jerry (left to right here) were eliminated, along with Bob and Sandy who had backed them in the pool.
The early surfacing of animosity, and/or strategy, was a little strange, as the racers would not seem to have had enough time to get to despise each other or to bond with each other.
Still, the Race has always been a kind of soap opera – as The Race World Turns – and fortunes shift often. James and Will, who did finish first on the episode, may soon lose whatever friends they’ve made. I feel that coming; don’t know why.
What’s to like? Well, the Manaus market shopping was sufficiently chaotic, though eagle-eyed race watcher Cindy Schmitt spotted a camera filming the procedures, a rare breaking of the third wall.
And you had to be impressed by the guy who shot clues out of a tree using a blowgun. (Why couldn’t that have been challenge for the racers?)
Possible storm clouds? The previously chipper team of DeAngelo Williams and Gary Barnidge (left to right above), ex-NFLers, would seem to be getting on each other’s nerves. We may have to depend on the volleyball-playing bothers, Riley and Maddison McKibbin, for shots of good cheer.
Overheard:
James: There’s one team I would love to see go, Leo and Alana.
Alana: His (Leo’s) master’s degree is from Harvard.
Kaylynn: Leo and Alana, going forward, we owe them a huge favor.
Frank: Let’s follow them. They might know where they’re going.
Eswar: If you’re at the top of the pack, it’s a lot easier to make friends.
DeAngelo: He’s an alpha male, and I’m an alpha male. We butt heads.
Alana: At this point, I’m optimistic because I think we’ve been kind to all the teams.
Victoria: She (Michelle) was just a boss bitch from the get go.
Order of Finish:
Will and James
Chee and Hung
Kaylynn and Hayley
Riley and Maddison
DeAngelo and Gary
Eswar and Aparna
Michelle and Victoria
Leo and Alana
Frank and Jerry
