'The Amazing Race': Don Giovanni laughs as the teams get dirty

If you thought things on "The Amazing Race" got dirty last time, you were in for a rude awakening this week. The Sam & Dan vs. The Globetrotters fight from last week was nothing compared to the rumblings we got tonight, and even if things didn't boil over this week, they certainly seem headed in that direction.

While there were no issues over catching a plane tonight, things got interesting as soon as the teams arrived in Prague. Ericka & Brian opted for a shuttle and subway to the old city that was their first stop, while everyone else took taxis. It was a dangerous plan but could have paid a huge dividend if it worked.

It didn't.

The shuttle's route was plagued by horrible traffic and the couple bailed along the way, opting for a cab instead. Their plan didn't pay off, but it was a great idea - I'd rather go out taking a gamble like that than getting lost in a cab or missing a plane flight or not having figured out while waiting at the airport what a Praga was and flailing about the whole square while looking for anything that might be a Praga (which Brian & Ericka did).

The two were behind when they made it to the Detour, but they did get there eventually and it was a good Detour. The choices were whitewater rafting in what they were calling a kayak (but looked like an inflatable raft) without flipping the kayak or traversing a rope over the whitewater course. It was a true risk-reward Detour, one of the first we've seen all season. The rafting was harder and had a large potential for disaster, but if a team was successful the first time through, they would save tons of time.

Sam & Dan opted for the kayaking and fought like only brothers can while doing it. Not surprisingly, they flipped their kayak repeatedly and did the course over and over and over again before switching to the ropes. Though they had shown up at the Detour first, they were passed by Meghan & Cheyne and the Globetrotters.

Meghan & Cheyne quickly formed an alliance with The Globetrotters, even after Flight Time slowed them down getting off the ropes course. The goal of the alliance was only to get to the Roadblock, but it didn't even last that long. Cheyne ditched the Globetrotters as soon as he saw a taxi he could jump in.

Meanwhile, back at the Detour, Sam & Dan finished ahead of Brian & Ericka, so the brothers tried to hire away Brian & Ericka's taxi and succeeded. I'm not sure it was necessary as Ericka was traversing the course really slowly, but it pushed Brian & Ericka from likely elimination to almost certain elimination.

The Roadblock required the teams to find a mini-mandolin at the Estates Theatre. It was another needle in a haystack task, but it was in a famous location, featured a singer, and was fun to watch. Cheyne found a mandolin first and he and Meghan finished the leg on top. The brothers, arriving third, finished second. Ericka & Brian arrived at the Roadblock while the Globetrotters were still there, but Big Easy found a mandolin before Ericka and the Globetrotters nearly caught up to the brothers at the pit stop.

I can't say I was surprised that Ericka & Brian came in last tonight. And, with the finale not being next week but the week after, it wasn't all that surprising that this was a non-elimination leg either. Ericka & Brian still have a shot, but it doesn't seem like a good one.

Bits and pieces:

• Don Giovanni was hysterical, "Ha ha ha ha... no."
• Brian suggested that the Brothers conscience was probably eating them alive after stealing the cab. Apparently Brian is naïve.
• I'm saying that while the teams were duplicitous tonight, nothing all that bad actually occurred. What they four teams did do, however, was encourage truly evil actions in later legs; they set the stage, if you will.

The TV and Film Guy's Reviews - taxi thieves at heart.

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