'The Amazing Race' - "We Should Have Brought Gloves and Butt Pads" Episode Recap

[The Amazing Race - Season 17, Episode 4]

We catch up with Phil standing in a pen explaining that the contestants arrived in Ghana, with Michael & Kevin saved from elimination. The nine teams of The Amazing Race spend some extra time in Ghana before departing to help out the local school. Most of their work consisted of painting the outside of the schools.

Starting with Connor & Jonathan, the teams find out that they will have to go to Kiruna, Sweden. All contestants were given tickets just in case, but were allowed to look for earlier flights. Connor & Jonathan announce that this leg was their graduation day. Brook & Claire attempt to wear neon pink, but get depressed when they have to add jackets to their ensemble. Jill & Thomas reminded the audience that they had the express pass.

Departure Times
1) Connor & Jonathan - 10:15 AM
2) Gary & Mallory - 11:19
3) Chad & Stephanie - 11:29
4) Katie & Rachel - 12:12
5) Nick & Vicki - 12:23
6) Brook & Claire - 12:24
7) Jill & Thomas - 12:29
8) Nat & Kat - 1:12
9) Michael & Kevin - 1:26 PM

Kevin was the only contestant smart enough to ask his taxi driver to borrow his cell phone. He calls up the airport and found out that there was a flight that left Frankfurt two hours before the tickets that they had. When they arrived at the airport, they turned to Gary & Mallory and told them the information. Mallory used her blond prowess to convince a worker to help them. Nat & Kat went to an Internet cafe and found out the same information. They told a snooping Brook & Claire and they received the same tickets. Both Connor & Jonathan and the Volleyball girls got suspicious and wondered about the teams. Sadly, they were too late and were stuck with the same tickets.

As all the teams arrived in Frankfurt, Nat & Kat, Gary & Mallory, Brook & Claire, and Michael & Kevin made a run for their connecting flight. Michael & Kevin got stuck in an elevator, but magically after a commercial break make it to the first flight. The teams all arrived before the last five to their Saabs and headed to the Ice Hotel. Gary & Mallory miss the turn-off and Michael & Kevin blindly followed them in the wrong direction. Because of this, Nat & Kat and Brook & Claire arrived first and grabbed an ice-block clue. Gary & Mallory followed with Michael & Kevin stopped by a Speed Bump. Michael & Kevin had to sit on ice chairs for ten minutes. Kevin being silly sat on the ice wearing a pair of shorts, causing him more pain than his father.

Nat & Kat, Brooke & Claire, and Gary & Mallory must have gotten lost because after ten minutes passed, Michael & Kevin grabbed their clue and drove directly to their next clue box before the teams. They arrived at the Roadblock first. The Roadblock forced contestants to do summer dog sled training. They had to grab five flags as they went through the course and trade the flags for a pelt. They would have to return with the pelt to get the clue. If drivers missed the flags, they would have to do a penalty lap for each flag lost.

Michael took his first Roadblock of the race and had no trouble. There was a Disney-esque bear animatronic that Michael passed, but it never fazed the dogs, nor did it ever get mentioned afterwards. Kat, Mallory, and Claire eventually arrive to do the Roadblock. Michael succeeded with the course before the second plane landed.

Mallory misses the first flag that arrived because she was too short to grab it; she learned her lesson and stood on her wheels to grab the remaining four. Mallory & Claire pass by Kat.

The trailing teams on a whole didn't grab the ice blocks but rather wrote down the clue. The Volleyball Girls convinced a man to drive in front of them so all the teams followed them.

Michael & Kevin arrive at the Vassijuare Train Station and find the Detour clue. They are followed by the rest of plane one, with Nat & Kat in last.

The trailing teams all make it to the roadblock with Jill & Thomas in last after they ran a mile in the wrong direction for no reason. After a commercial break, Jill & Thomas realize they run back and find the roadblock.

Michael & Kevin were the first to find the detour: Sleds (ride tech sleds on a course and finish in less than 1:58) or Beds (Follow Scandinavian Nomad traditions, build a tent, and furnish the insides). Michael & Kevin choose beds and hilarity ensues; luckily Michael was laughing the whole way through. Eventually the trailing teams finish the Roadblocks with Jill & Thomas behind.

Nat & Kat and Gary & Mallory arrived at the sled detour. Kat fell off the course, while Gary & Mallory finish in 1:58 and the judges told them they were too slow. Michael & Kevin finished building the tent and started to furnish while Nat & Kat finished the sled task with 1:55. Brook & Claire finished the task in their first try with Claire arriving at 1:43. Gary & Mallory's second attempt was successful and finished at 1:24. Nat & Kat arrive at the Norwegian Boarder pit stop and win a trip for two to Belize.

Katie & Rachel and Nick & Vicki arrived at sleds when Michael & Kevin finished their Bed roadblock. Gary & Mallory arrived in second and Brook & Claire in third.

Connor & Jonathan continuously wipe out, set to the tune of silly "I'm going to wipe out" music; they finish in 2:03. Chad & Stephanie attempted the sleds, but Stephanie freaked out and wiped out twice. She started to cry when the course finished complaining that the tech sled landed on her. Katie & Rachel arrive at the sleds and don't do well either. Chad & Stephanie switch tasks, followed by Katie & Rachel, and Connor & Jonathan. Nick & Vicki arrived at the sled and translated their motorcycle skills to the tech sleds. They finished in one try.

Jill & Thomas arrived at the tents, contemplated and used the express pass. They headed to the pit stop automatically. Michael & Kevin arrived at the pit stop in fourth, Jill & Thomas in fifth, and Nick & Vicki in sixth.

Chad & Stephanie arrive at the tents and tried their best; they are relieved when Katie & Rachel and Connor & Jonathan arrived. Chad & Stephanie finished and left for the pit stop. While Katie & Rachel struggled with decorating the tent, they finished before Connor & Jonathan and headed to the pit stop before him. Connor & Jonathan were last and eliminated. They talk about how they graduated both Harvard and the race. They tossed their hats up and accepted their fate.

Ironically, if Jill & Thomas arrived and completed the Bed detour that they chose initially, they would have finished at least before both Katie & Rachel and Connor & Jonathan. I don't think that the choice of using it was wrong, but because of audience hindsight they didn't realize they would have finished before the other teams switched detours.

Roadblock (in order of arrival): Michael, Kat, Mallory, Claire, Connor, Nick, Katie, Stephanie

Detour Choices

Sled
Nat & Kat
Gary & Mallory
Brook & Claire
Nick & Vicki

Bed
Michael & Kevin
Jill & Thomas - Used Express Pass
Chad & Stephanie - Switched from Sled
Katie & Rachel - Switched from Sled
Connor & Jonathan - Switched from Sled

Leg Placement:

1) Nat & Kat
2) Gary & Mallory
3) Brook & Claire
4) Michael & Kevin
5) Jill & Thomas
6) Nick & Vicki
7) Chad & Stephanie
8) Katie & Rachel
9) Connor & Jonathan - Eliminated4