A new episode of The Amazing Race airs tonight on CBS. Read a live recap here.
The episode begins with teams greeting Phil at St. Gallen, Switzerland. The season was put on hiatus nineteen months ago, but the race is ready to start again. However, Sam & Connie, Anthony & Spencer, Taylor & Isaiah, and Caro & Ray were unable to return. As a result, the first two eliminated teams Arun & Natalia and Michael & Moe are back. Phil asks how everyone has been doing during the pandemic. Ryan jokes that he went back to prison life. Natalia got married. Raquel & Cayla lost their jobs as flight attendants. Lulu & Lala’s grandmother passed away due to COVID-19.
Phil informs the teams that they will avoid public transportation to keep them safe. They will fly on charter planes and mostly drive themselves. For this leg, they will start by boarding one of three buses parked in front of a museum. The race starts, and the teams race down the street to find the buses. They each board a bus and read their next clue. They must proceed to Schwägalp and take a cable car up a mountain to find their next clue.
Ryan & Dusty, Kim & Penn, and Raquel & Cayla got on the first bus to Schwägalp. Michael & Moe and Arun & Natalia are on the second bus, and Lula & Lala and Akbar & Sheridan are on the third bus. They all board on the same cable car when they arrive at Schwägalp. They find the clue box and learn they have a Roadblock to complete. One team member must make their way across a mountain ledge with ropes and collect the next clue. They will be assisted by a professional as they make their way to the clue box. The clue box will be in a spot 8,000 feet above sea level with six countries visible at once: Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy, France, Germany, and Switzerland. Completing the Roadblock for their teams are Ryan, Arun, Lulu, Penn, Raquel, Moe, and Sheridan. Ryan is the first to collect his clue, and he’s followed by Lulu. Arun and Penn are the next to retrieve their clue, and they are followed by Raquel. Penn manages to pass Arun and Lulu on his way back. Moe collects his clue while Sheridan is trailing behind. While watching Sheridan, Akbar remarks how he should’ve done this Roadblock instead.
Ryan is the first to complete the task. He and Dusty read the clue and learn they must drive themselves to Gasthaus Sonne. They miss the next cable car down by seconds, meaning they won’t have a lead on the few teams behind them. As they are waiting for the next cable car, all the other teams complete the Roadblock and end up boarding the same cable car with Ryan & Dusty. The only team left behind is Akbar & Sheridan. Akbar is anxiously waiting for Sheridan as it becomes very foggy.
The other teams get into cars to drive themselves to Gasthaus Sonne. Michael & Moe are in the lead and they find the clue box. The other teams are right behind them though. They learn they have a Detour to complete: Punch It or Toss It. Punch It requires teams to attach ornaments onto belts in the correct oder. Toss It requires teams to learn a sequence of Swiss flag tossing. Michael & Moe and Arun & Natalia choose the Punch It Detour. Ryan & Dusty, Kim & Penn, Raquel & Cayla, and Lulu & Lala choose the Toss It Detour. Michael & Moe get confused where to go for the Detour. Natalia tells Arun not to help them since they ended up getting eliminated after helping teams last time.
Sheridan finally completes the Roadblock as the other teams are practicing the Toss It Detour or beginning to attach ornaments for the Punch It Detour. Ryan & Dusty consider switching Detours, but they decide to stay. Kim & Penn attempt their first performance of the flag tossing sequence, but they do not pass. Ryan & Dusty, however, pass after their first attempt. They get their next clue and learn they can proceed to the Pit Stop: Altstätten. Kim & Penn continue to struggle with the flag tossing, but they pass on their third attempt. They can make their way to the Pit Stop too. Lulu & Lala and Raquel & Cayla pass on their first attempt too. As Raquel & Cayla leave the Detour location, Akbar & Sheridan arrive. They begin practicing the flag tossing sequence.
Ryan & Dusty arrive at the Pit Stop first. Ryan & Dusty are team #1! They each win $2,500. While they are still on the mat with Phil, Kim & Penn arrive as team #2. Meanwhile, Arun & Natalia finish the Roadblock. Michael & Moe, however, do not pass. Their ornaments are in the wrong order and they must start over.
After a footrace to the Pit Stop, Raquel & Cayla are team #3 and Lulu & Lala are team #4. Raquel & Cayla tell Phil they hope a female team will win the race this year. Meanwhile, Arun & Natalia are lost, and Sheridan is struggling to learn the flag tossing task. Akbar tells her to stop letting the flag hit the ground and she tells him to shut up. However, they pass the Detour after their first attempt. They are now in sixth place, but Michael & Moe finally complete the Detour too. Due to Arun & Natalia’s navigational issues, Akbar & Sheridan arrive on the mat as team #5. It’s now between the two previously eliminated teams. Which team will avoid elimination again?
Arun & Natalia greet Phil as team #6. Michael & Moe finally arrive in last place, and Phil gives them the bad news. Michael & Moe have been eliminated from the race. They are grateful for the experience, and they say this loss stings less than their first elimination.
Leg Summary
1st place: Ryan & Dusty
2nd place: Kim & Penn
3rd place: Raquel & Cayla
4th place: Lulu & Lala
5th place: Akbar & Sheridan
6th place: Arun & Natalia
Eliminated: Michael & Moe
And that wraps up tonight’s episode of The Amazing Race. Thanks for reading, and come back next week for another live recap.
