Episode Recap: Amazing Race 10, Week 3

Episode: Oh, Wow! It's Like One of Those Things You See on TV! Original Air Date: October 1, 2006 At the beginning of this week's episode, the teams are told to fly from Mongolia to Hanoi, Vietnam. Once in Hanoi, they are to make their way by taxi to the site of the "Hanoi Hilton", a famous prison where American POWs were held and tortured during the Vietnam War. How fun! The teams will not be given any money for this leg of the journey. Peter and Mary are the first to leave, since they were the first to complete their challenge the night before. But it really doesn't matter, since the ticket counter for the airline they must use doesn't open until 9am, and all the teams end up on the same flight anyway. As each team leaves via jeep for the ticket office, we are once again treated to "personal" moments in which contestants share with the rest of us their thoughts and feelings. As the sharing goes on, I begin to realize that nothing bores me more than these people's thoughts and feelings. Duke (about his gay daughter Lauren): "I don't think anything will change Lauren's sexuality. If anything's gonna change, it's me... Don't care! Tom (regarding his relationship with Terry): "We both are very independent. We've only known each other two years..." Really, really don't care! Kimberly: "If Rob chooses to say hurtful things to me, we're going to have to have a serious talk..." Talk to the hand, Kimberly! Kentucky Coal Miner David muses wistfully while driving to the ticket office: "I've always follered my Dad's footsteps. He was in the service in Vietnam..." Write a Country song about it. Sheesh! Mercifully, David's wife Mary interrupts. "Everybody's passin' you!" she yells. "Mary, I'm doin' 60!" "We're losin' this race and I'm gonna git angry!" "Mary..." "Uh, uh, no! Don't you 'Mary' me!" These two could have their own reality show. The ticket office opens and the teams form a line to see the ticket agents. The Obligatory Gay Couple aren't paying attention and fail to notice a ticket agent become available when it is their turn. The Doublemint Twins (known to their fellow competitors as The Barbies) take advantage of this opportunity and book their flight. This ticks off The Obligatory Gay Couple who occuse the The Doublemint Twins of cutting in line. "They won't win any beauty contest of kindness," Tom says. Ooooh, good one, Tom! Being on the same flight, all of the teams reach Hanoi at the same time. Duke thinks he's being swift when he convinces a young local woman to ride in their cab with him and Lauren. He thinks having someone who 'knows the language' will be a real advantage. They get off to a great start as the local girl makes them wait for her before they take off. Half-way there, Duke asks the woman if she's sure they're going the right way. "He take me my brother," she eloquently explains, "then he take you hotel." I almost fall out of my chair laughing. Along the way, the teams are slowed down by a truck that has turned over in the middle of the road. The Doublemint Twins think the smart thing to do is to get out and look at the accident. They are then taken by surprise as the other teams pass them. Duke and Lauren realize they won't have enough money to pay the cabbie. "We'll be fine," Duke tells Lauren. "Yeah," she replies, "when we're arrested for not having enough money." At the end of the ride, the cabbie is nice enough to accept $11.00, which is all they have. Once at the Hanoi Hilton, the teams are told they are supposed to find Sen. John McCain's flight suit. Once they find the suit, they'll get their new instructions. They are then to make their way to Hang Ma market. At Hang Ma Market, they are to perform a "Roadblock" (a challenge only one team member can perform). Their challenge is to sell flowers from a bicycle. Peter is the first to sell enough Flowers as he seems to be a hit with the ladies. Sarah believes they love his blonde hair. They find out they are next supposed to make their way by bus to a certain village. However, Peter and Lauren lose their early lead by taking the wrong bus. They go from first place to last when they manage to catch the last bus going to the village. Brainiacs Erwin and Godwin are the first to reach the village and receive instructions for their "Detour" (a choice between two tasks). In this case, the choice is between "Fuel" or "Fowl". In "Fuel", the task is to build a bunch of coal bricks. In "Fowl", the task is to build a bird cage. The Brainiacs choose "Fuel". All the locals gather around to watch and laugh at them. As David and Mary arrive at the village, a ceremonial dance with a paper dragon is taking place. "Oh, wow!" Mary exclaims, "It's like one of those things you see on TV!" Peter and Bionic Sarah are the last to arrive. Peter tells Sarah she needs to hobble faster on her malfunctioning artificial leg. Duke and Lauren get lost trying to find the "Fuel" site, so they end up being the only team to do the "Fowl" task, which seems to take a long time. Meanwhile, the Brainiacs are the first to finish their task and make it to the "Roadblock". The Obligatory Gay Couple are the second to make it there, but they are penalized because they broke a safety rule which says the contestants are not allowed to ride a motorcycle while in Vietnam. It just so happens that they hitched a ride with a couple of guys on motorbikes for a brief leg of the trip to the village. They are penalized 30 minutes. The Pretty Boys supplant them as the second place team. Even though Peter and Bionic Sarah are the last to arrive in the village, they manage to be the fifth team to arrive at the roadblock, during the 30 minute penalty. Phil turns to the Obligatory Gay Couple, "This has got to suck for you guys." The tension mounts as all but one of teams arrive during the 30 minute penalty. But Phil finally calls Tom and Terry over and announces that they are team number 8, the second to last team. Terry starts to cry. Duke and Lauren are the last to arrive and are eliminated. Next week - Sarah gets angry at Peter because he wants to quit yet another challenge. Rob and Kimberly yell at each other some more.