Teams head out from Tempozan Park to a floating garden on top of Osaka's Umeda Sky Building. Since the garden doesn't open until 10 am, most of the teams catch up to each other. The next clue directs them to fly to Taipei, Taiwan, and take a taxi to Taipei Main Station. This excites Nate, who says "Thai food is pretty good," and "I have a couple of Thai friends." Look, genius, that's Thailand. Check out an atlas sometime!
At the airport, Christina plays tricky by asking the airline agent to tell the other teams that the first flight is sold out. As it turns out, it really was sold out, so the others must book a later flight. Ron and Christina are the first team out, and all three other teams meet up in immigration in Taipei.
Once racers clear the airport and taxi to the Main Station, the next clue directs them to take the high speed train to the city of Taichung, where they will taxi to the town of Jiji and find Acrobatics Jeep and this week's Roadblock.
Ron and Christina have a comfortable lead headed into the Roadblock. In this challenge, team members must ride in a Jeep with a stunt driver onto a large teeter-totter platform while it moves back and forth. Once complete, they ride in an amphibious Jeep into a trench of water deep enough to cover them completely. It's a seventeen second ride underwater, and team members must hold their breath and hang on the entire time. This is a throwback to the awesome race challenges of yore. We love this stuff, and want to see more of it, Phil!
Once completed, teams must make their way back to Taipei via high speed rail and head to the GK Teahouse, where they will drink a cup of tea to reveal the clue written at the bottom of the cup. TK and Rachel hit their Speed Bump, but as the second team to arrive at the Roadblock, they aren't in bad shape. They must head to the nearby town of Heping and run through a gauntlet of exploding fireworks aimed right at them. It's not that big a deal since they're both decked out in protective gear; they knock that challenge out quickly and got back on track.
They race back to the train station and manage to catch the same train as Nick and Don and Nate and Jennifer--who were none too pleased to see them. Clearly, the pressure is on, and we all know Jen can't hack it. Just the thought of elimination sends her into a rage.
Ron and Christina get to the teahouse, finish their tea and find the next clue: They're off to Gong Guan Night Market across the street to find a creepy, juggling clown on a unicycle. Once there, he hands them the Detour: Fire or Earth.
In Fire, teams must write messages of luck on sky lanterns and then send them aloft... twenty of them. In Earth, teams find their way to Youth Park and must walk barefoot along a path of jagged stones to receive their next clue. It would have been more fun if they were hot coals, but no such luck. In the end, all four teams end up choosing Earth. The next clue sends teams to the Pit Stop for this leg of the race: Chiang Kai-Shek Plaza.
THE PIT STOP
Ron and Christina managed to stay completely harmonious, and snag first place, guaranteeing a spot in the final three. They also win a five night trip to Curacao. With a stunning amount of focus and speed, TK and Rachel arrive in second--a huge comeback from their previous last place finish. In a twist of sweet, sweet karma, Nick and Don arrive in third.
OUSTED
It's gotta hurt to be eliminated on your birthday, but Jennifer and Nate arrive last and are finally booted from the race. Jen claims the race was a huge growing experience for them but that it has destroyed them as a couple. Inexplicably, they're not sure what this means for their relationship. We do: It's over! Kick each other to the curb! Dunzo! In the end, Nate just sobs and Jennifer jumps into his arms. Ugg!
SEASON FINALE
Can you believe it, race fans?! After 30,000 miles, it's down to one last leg. TK and Rachel get crabby, Gramps yells a Nick for a change and Christina climbs what looks to be a rapidly defrosting Alaskan glacier. Who''ll cross the finish line first and take home the million dollars? Don't miss next week's finale!
