The Amazing Race
Karma Joins The Race

CBS' The Amazing Race has its own big challenge now that one of its most favorite teams ever has been disqualified from the race while 2 fairly unpopular teams remain in the running - pardon the pun. Tonight's episode of The Amazing Race may set the stage for the rest of the season of this 7 time Emmy award winning show.

Although Justin and Zev were first to cross the mat at the pit stop in Cambodia, the friends were eliminated when they were unable to locate Zev's passport. Although it wasn't shown in the televised episode, Zev and Justin confirmed that they were awarded motorcycles for winning the leg of the race. Justin and Zev declined the prizes.

Sam and Dan are first to receive their clue to travel to the Persian Gulf and find the tallest building in the world. Phil explains that teams must figure out that they are looking for the Burj Dubai - a building that is nearly twice as tall as the Empire State Building. Once they arrive and find a fountain where they can sign up for an elevator ride, , teams will go  to the 124th floor where they will find their next clue.

All teams are traveling to Dubai via Bangkoki.

Sam/ Dan and Tiffany/ Maria both mention their good luck derived from Justin/ Zev's misfortune. Sam/ Dan hope to capitalize in advancing to the first team to depart from Cambodia, while the poker players reflect in their good fortune for not being eliminated despite being the last team to arrive at the pit stop. Brian/ Ericka mention that they are all in this big race together and in the end it will come down to karma so they are being nice to everyone.

Meanwhile Canaan gloats a bit that he loved heights, but Mika not so much. Mika agrees that she doesn't like heights and Canaan said he would have to do something about her 'tude (attitude) and she tells him not to tell her what to do. Canaan's attitude however might be the one in need of adjustment when his taxi driver doesn't know where the water fountain is that they need to find. When someone helps the driver with directions, Canaan throws his backpack in the taxi and says that the driver is an idiot.

The teams will go up to the 124th floor in 2 groups of 4 teams - the first will go up 15mins before the second group. Teams signed up at the fountain in the order that they arrived. The poker players, Meghan/ Cheyne, Sam/ Dan, and Brian/ Ericka are in the 1st group.

The teams find the clue box and read the next clue: make their way to a specified parking structure, find the marked vehicles, and drive out into the blisteringly hot Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve where they will find the next clue box.  They also find a Fast Forward Opportunity. Phil comes on camera and tells you that this will be the only Fast Forward in the entire race. In this Fast Forward, a team must find the Dubai Autodrome - the only race course of its kind in the Persian Gulf. Once there they will drive in an F3 open wheel race car at speeds of up to more than 100 mph to complete a lap (~ 3.35 miles) in less than 45 seconds. Once they complete the task they can skip all of the tasks and go straight to the pit stop.

Meghan and Cheyne go for the Fast Forward. The other 3 teams head out for the desert. Once the teams get to the reserve, they find 4X4s and drivers waiting to take them into the desert.

Teams see a large TAR marker a bit in the distance so the teams stop their drivers and run to the marker and a clue box. Roadblock: Who feels like they can beat the desert heat? One team member will choose a traditional bag and search the desert for urns filled with water that have been buried in the sand. Racers will find that not all of the urns contain water. When the racer finds water in the urn, they will ladle it into their bag. When their bag is full of water, they can give it to a Bedouin for his camel in exchange for the next clue.

Tiffany, Brian, and Big Easy are looking for water and they are finding the empty urns. They are frustrated by the heat and the empty vessels.

Cheyne suits up and heads out on the race course. He comes in at just over 40 seconds apparently on his 1st try, thus completing the Fast Forward. They get their clue directing them to ride in a Maserati to amphitheatre at Souk Madinat Jumeirah, the pit stop for this leg of the race.

Brian finds some water and fills his bag. He directs Tiffany and Dan  to the urn he found that wasn't yet empty. He rationalizes that you don't know what's going to be coming up and that friends will be more likely to help him when he needs it.

Brian gets the next clue to drive back into the city and find Ski Dubai, an indoor ski resort that covers the area of more than 4 football fields.

Dan doesn't have a ladle so he and Tiffany are working together to fill their bags. Matt fills his bag at about the same time. Big Easy is still wandering around without any luck at all.

Brian and Ericka are driving when they see Mika and Canaan on the side of the road completely lost. Ericka tells him he can stop, but not to take too long so Brian pauses to tell them to go back the other way about 5 miles. Brian again explains that this game is about karma, he isn't stupid - if he helps them, they will help him. Ericka in the back seat says that Brian is way nicer than she is - just because she is a former Miss America doesn't necessarily mean she fits the typical profile of the nice girl - she can pull out her claws when she needs to.

Mika and Caanan show up at the reserve as the girls  and Sam/ Dan are leaving. Maria goes forward to avoid the car behind her and runs over a post that ruptures her car's radiator. Fluid can be seen rapidly emptying onto the ground beneath the car. Tiffany in the backseat looks like she is going to boil over.

The brothers stop and see what they can do to help the girls. Dan points out that he would still be out in the desert if Tiffany hadn't helped him by using her ladle to fill his bag along with her's so the guys decide to hang around with the girls until a replacement car arrives. Phil says in a voice over that if a car is inoperable that a replacement car will be provided. This has been the policy of the show although there is no time allowance given to make up for time lost waiting for a replacement vehicle to arrive.

Big Easy finally finds water and he and Flight Time head out.

Lance and Keri have taken a couple of wrong turns - they have not gotten to the desert yet. Pressure is rising and the two are bickering. Perhaps I should have realized that was coming when Lance said earlier in the episode that they had a number of non-refundable deposits down on their wedding so there was no doubt that they would go through with it. This episode seems to be all about karma.

Cheyne and Meghan arrive at the pit stop where Phil welcomes them as Team # 1 and winners of a trip for 2 to Jamaica.

Lance and Keri find the roadblock. Lance decides to do it. Canaan is still looking for an urn with water.

Matt and Gary miss their exit to the Ski Dubai, but they identify the building from the highway. They are first o arrive at the building and get the next clue: Detour. Build a snowman - or find a snowman. In build a snowman, teams will carry snow outside to the blistering heat and build a traditional snowman, complete with scarf, button nose, eyes made out of coal, and a carrot nose. If they can finish the snowman before it melts, they will receive their next clue. In find a snowman, teams will ride a chairlift to the top of a ski slope and ride a shovel-like devise to the bottom of the hill where piles of snow await them. Within each pile is a small snowman figure - when they find a figure and hand it to a person in a polar bear costume, they will receive their next clue.

Pinky and the Brain chooser to search for the snowman. As they ride the chairlift up, they ask each other if they can believe the snow in the middle of the desert. At that point a split screen apears showing that it is 28 degrees inside and 120 degrees outside.

Four more teams arrive (everyone except Caanan/ Mika, Lance/ Keri, and of course Cheyne/ Meghan) and everyone is looking for the snowman.

Ericka is up at the top of the mountain getting ready to ride down when Brian tells us that she isn't a snow bunny. Suddenly you can hear Ericka laughing hysterically as she comes down the entire distance of the mountain.

The Globetrotters arrive at the winter wonderland.

The piles of snow are really big and everyone starts to work together on a pile. They all start digging and Ericka is first to find a figure. She shows everyone what they are looking for and they head off to exchange the figure for a clue from the polar bear. The clue directs them to travel to the pit stop.

Lance and Keri are still driving. They are worried about the possibility of being eliminated. Lance says that they came to win the whole thing - it's too soon for them to be out.

The girl team and and team pinky decide to switch and they head out to start building a snowman.

Brian and Ericka arrive at the pit stop as Team # 2.

The brothers decide to change tasks. Almost immediately after they head out, the Globetrotters find a snowman and get their clue to the pit stop. As they head out they see Mika and Canaan heading inside so they tell them if they have coats they should get them because it's cold inside. They couple gratefully go back to get their coats.

Team Pinky complete their snowman and their clue.

Flight Time and Big Easy arrive as Team # 3.

The girls finish their snowman - and the brothers are right behind them.

Matt and Gary arrive as Team # 4.

Sam and Dan arrive as Team # 5.

Maria and Tiffany arrive at the pit stop and Phil deadpans as he says their name. He has them pick a number and they say 5, no 6. Phil tells them they are good at numbers - they are Team # 6.

Team Nashville are greeted as Team # 7.

Lance and Keri finish their snowman and the judge says ok and starts to pull out their clue. Lance says hold it to the judge and asks if he can kick their completed snowman. The judge asks if they want their clue or not. Keri tells him to just get the clue. Kind of crazy that they knew they were in danger of being last and Lance wants to mess up the thing that they need to get their clue.

Lance and Keri talk hopefully that it might be a non-elimination leg.

Lance and Keri arrive at the pit stop and Phil tells them they are the last team to arrive and he sounds sincere when he tells them that they are unfortunately eliminated from the race. They seem ok with the elimination. They talk about how they are 2 different people which they agree is a good thing because Lance wouldn't be able to take being married to someone just like himself. They had a really good time and they are glad that they had such a great thing in their life.

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