The Amazing Race Episode 24.10 Bull Down

COWBOYS ELIMINATED IN SEVILLE

As teams raced to Seville, Spain, the Afghanimals chose the cowboys as their U-Turn targets instead of Brenchel, while father and son Dave & Connor notched another victory in their belts.

JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED

Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 2:35pm, father and son Dave & Connor ripped open their clue sending them to Seville, Spain. When they landed, they had to make their way to the Alameda, a garden square where they would find their next clue between Hercules and Caesar. The father and son duo grew excited when they realized there would also be a U-turn in this leg. Although they already exercised their U-Turn, Dave & Connor hoped that someone from the Accidental Alliance would take the opportunity to U-Turn Brenchel causing their elimination short of the final four. A smiling Connor said, "Justice will be served." For the remaining four teams, the U-Turn weighed heavily on their minds. Jet & Cord departed in second place wanting to remain neutral regarding the U-Turn and alliances while the Afghanimals left in third place planning to U-Turn either Brenchel (according to the wishes of their alliance) or the Cowboys, a strong team they wanted to eliminate. In fourth place, newlyweds Brendon & Rachel knew that if they showed up last to the U-Turn board they certainly would see their faces on it. Rachel succinctly described the situation: "The other teams all hate us." In last place, Country singers Caroline & Jennifer faced a Speed Bump, but they hoped to get a cushion with Brenchel's impending U-Turn by the alliance. Jennifer joked, "Too bad we can't double U-Turn them."

TAKING FLIGHT

Arriving at Zurich Airport within minutes of each other, Dave & Connor and Leo & Jamal ran to separate counters and independently booked tickets on a flight departing at 5:00pm that would land in Seville at 9:25pm. Both teams celebrated at the gate when they realized they would be the only two teams on the flight. After missing the exit for the airport on the expressway, Jet & Cord lost out on the chance to join those teams on the earliest flight. Instead, the Cowboys settled for the 7:05pm flight to Barcelona with Caroline & Jennifer and Brendon & Rachel. The three teams would stay overnight in Barcelona, depart at 7:10am, and arrive in Seville at 8:45am. Landing in Seville, Spain at 9:25pm, the Afghanimals and Dave & Connor took taxis to the Alameda and spotted the two stone columns that towered over the entrance to the promenade. On the ground between the statues of Hercules and Caesar was a sign announcing the arrival of their next clue at 8:30am the following morning.

A CLOSE SHAVE

The next morning after the three teams in Barcelona boarded their flight to Seville, Dave & Connor and Leo & Jamal returned to the Alameda where a trumpeter signaled the beginning of their Race day. After ripping open the clue, the teams sprinted around the corner to Melado Peluqueros, a barbershop where they found a Roadblock. Many consider The Barber of Seville to be the most recognizable opera in the world. This Roadblock required teams to become barbers of Seville using a sharp blade, shaving cream, and a balloon. They had to use the proper shaving technique to shave the sensitive balloon customer in sixty seconds. If they cut the customer, they would have to try again. Walking into the barbershop, Jamal and Connor, greeted by an opera singer serenading them with highlights from the immensely recognizable The Barber of Seville, each chose a balloon customer and then studied the demonstration given by the master barber who expertly shaved the balloon with a straight edged razor. When both racers were ready, the barber began the countdown giving Jamal and Connor sixty seconds to fully shave their balloon. With the opera singer providing the perfect background music for the challenge, Jamal and Connor focused with silent intensity making sure each vertical stroke down the length of their balloon with the sharp blade wouldn't pop their customer. However, careful precision cost precious time as neither racer completed shaving their balloon in the allotted minute. When the timer hit zero, the barber burst each of their balloons signaling their failure. With the second flight landing in Seville, Connor and Jamal received new balloon customers and another sixty seconds to complete their close shave. This time, both racers moved at a faster pace and appeared poised to clean up their customers with time to spare. However, with fifteen seconds left, Jamal made a fatal movement and popped his balloon as he erupted in frustration. Meanwhile, Connor held his focus and put the finishing touches on his happy customer just before the clock ran out. Taking his clue from the barber and reuniting with Dave outside, Connor ripped open the envelope sending him and his father to the Patio de las Doncellas in the Real Alcazar.

UNDER PRESSURE

After Jamal successfully shaved his customer on the third try, the three teams on the second flight descended onto the Alameda and received their clue from the trumpeter. While the Country singers and Cowboys quickly found Melado Peluqueros where Jennifer and Jet began shaving, Brendon & Rachel sat in their taxi with a driver unable to find the barbershop. Watching their driver circle around without an address for reference, the newlyweds began to worry especially with the impending U-Turn looming. After getting directions, the driver assured Brenchel they were close and soon deposited them at the front door of the barbershop where Rachel chose to shave. When Rachel ran into the barbershop, she saw Jennifer and Jet still struggling to finish shaving their balloons in under one minute. With the U-Turn still on her mind, Rachel panicked at first, saying, "It was so stressful. My arm was probably shaking." After getting her first balloon popped for taking too long, and as Jet and Jennifer continued to fail, Rachel settled down with words of encouragement from Brendon and on her next try, she made one final stroke with the knife to remove the last remaining shaving cream just before time ran out. Immediately after Brenchel jumped into a taxi in third place, Jennifer finished shaving her balloon in fourth place with Jet very close behind, but dead last.

RAGING BULLS

Walking through a garden and courtyard in Real Alcazar, Dave & Connor found their next clue, a Detour, floating in a reflecting pool at Patio de las Doncellas. Spanish Steps required teams to join a flamenco group and master the steps of the rhythmic routine. Once they were in sync with the professionals they would receive their next clue. Run With the Balls required teams to wear "bumperz" and run through the streets of Seville while avoiding other bulls. They had to identify a motto along the way and recite the quote at the end of the course to receive their next clue. Running through a residential district of Seville, Dave & Connor turned a corner into a narrow street where a line of gigantic, zorb-like inflatable spheres called bumperz waited for them along with plenty of protective gear like helmets and kneepads. Seeing the Afghanimals arrive directly behind them, Connor worried, "This could be tough boys." After putting on the gear and having an attendant place the giant plastic ball adorned with markings of a bull over their heads fully encasing their bodies past their waists, Dave & Connor began walking through the very narrow streets of Seville. When the father and son reached a clearing, they encountered a group of angry bumperz bulls that unexpectedly charged them sending Dave & Connor to the ground. Dave called the experience of being pummeled by the bumperz "a demolition derby." While the inflatable sphere offered protection, the pair still felt the blows delivered to them. Even amidst all the chaos, Connor had the focus to notice a poster on the wall with the words "A matador," the first part of the quote they needed to remember. Escaping from the first group of bulls, Dave & Connor continued along the marked path now knowing what to expect. Before entering the second square, Connor stopped to make sure he located the poster with part of the quote before the relentless pummeling began. Dave later said, "It's kind of hard to concentrate on the phrase when you're getting the tar beat out of you." However, this time Connor fought back and delivered some good shots back at the attacking bulls before reading the poster, "Never thinks about." Getting knocked down again right after, Connor gleefully shouted, "This is so fun!" Dave had a different point of view, breathlessly saying, "This is going to kill me."

HAM IT UP

With Brenchel also choosing to Run With the Balls and the Cowboys lost wandering through Real Alcazar for their Detour clue, Caroline & Jennifer faced their Speed Bump, a task they had to perform for coming in last place in the previous leg. In this Speed Bump, the Country singers had to deliver six Spanish hams through the narrow city streets to Café Las Teresas. Picking up the six hams (in three pairs tied together by string), Caroline & Jennifer began walking through the city in search for the café. After getting directions from a pair of local men, Caroline noted to Jennifer, "We have ham meat all over us." Walking into the café, the last place Country singers delivered the ham to the bartender and then returned to Real Alcazar where they saw Jet & Cord exiting for the bulls after finally finding their clue. Initially, Caroline & Jennifer considering Running With the Balls, but then decided to rely on their dancing skills, choosing to flamenco instead.

BULL DOWN

Before entering the third plaza, Dave & Connor spotted and read the remaining words of the quote: "his own death." Now armed with the entire quote they withstood the most brutal onslaught yet as Dave tried unsuccessfully to plead old age to the merciless bulls. After finally escaping from the square, Dave & Connor walked further along the narrow streets to where a matador stood and recited the quote, "A matador never thinks about his own death." After receiving a thumbs up from the matador, Dave & Connor ripped open their clue sending them on foot to the General Archive of the Indies. In second place, cousins Leo & Jamal also took a beating from the bulls as they navigated through the streets. Falling over clothing racks, at one point, Leo decided rolling on the ground across the square might be a better approach than trying to stand his ground against the bulls. However, Jamal chose to retaliate, and delivered some fierce blows back, sending some bulls to the ground which only made them angrier. Taking the same approach as Dave & Connor, the Afghanimals spotted the third poster to complete their quote before they entered the square. Only needing to escape one final showdown, Leo was hit relentlessly and fell to the ground immediately. Jamal put up a fight, but when a strong blow knocked him down, a second shot from the bull twisted his knee. Wincing in pain, Jamal said, "I can't feel my kneecap." Removing his bumperz bull ball, Jamal stood up, concerned because he felt a pain he hadn't experienced before. Trying to move his knee around, the pain only worsened, but eager to finish the Detour, Jamal put the ball back on and carefully walked to the matador with Leo to recite the quote. Later Jamal said, "This ain't gonna hold us back, this is only going to make us stronger."

YOU'RE SO MEAN

In third place, Rachel didn't appreciate the brutal blows delivered by the mean bulls knocking her down each time. With a quiver in her voice, Rachel shouted, "I'm not a boy. You're so mean!" Brendon did his best to protect his wife by drawing attention away from her, but in the third square, she still took a shot sending her to the ground as she said, "You guys are so harsh!" Meanwhile, Brendon enjoyed the roughhousing with the aggressive bulls, laughing and returning some hits as he taunted, "You don't have balls, bulls!" After escaping the last group of bulls, Brenchel delivered the correct quote and ran off, now worried more than ever about the U-Turn. While the Country singers began learning the dance moves for the flamenco in last place, Cowboys Jet & Cord were struggling to fend off the gang of angry bulls in fourth place. At the first square, the Cowboys got so distracted by the attack, that they failed to see the poster with the quote behind them. Jet pieced together that he and Cord made a mistake when he saw the second poster, "Never thinks about," and realized they would have to circle back through the course for a second time.

CHANGE OF PLANS

Arriving at the General Archive of the Indies in first place, Dave & Connor found the U-Turn board. Since they used their U-Turn in a previous leg, they had no choice but to proceed straight to the next Pit Stop at Plaza de Espana, and found out that they won the leg and a trip for two from Travelocity to St. Croix. Now having four wins under their belt, Dave got emotional about his son, saying, "I'm so proud of the man he's turned into. To be able to stand here with him is the greatest privilege a father can have." Walking (or in Jamal's case limping) to the U-Turn board in second place, the Afghanimals had a big decision of how to use their U-Turn. While the Accidental Alliance wanted to see Brenchel U-Turned, the Afghanimals worried more about the strength of the Cowboys especially now with an injured Jamal. As they put up Jet & Cord's picture, Leo said, "We love you guys, but Jamal just messed up his knee really badly." The Afghanimals hoped that the Cowboys would in turn would U-Turn Brenchel to keep the Country singers safe. Jamal later joked, "There's only room for two cowboys in this Race and it ain't Jet and Cord. It's Leo & Jamal."

THE SMART THING

In third place, Brendon & Rachel couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the Cowboys' picture on the U-Turn board instead of theirs. Rachel lauded the Afghanimals' decision, saying, "They did the smart thing, not the popular thing." Brenchel got another pleasant surprise when they discovered they stepped on the mat at Plaza de Espana in second place after beating the ailing Afghanimals there. While not complaining, Rachel suggested that the Afghanimals might have made a mistake by not U-Turning them. After arriving at the mat in third place, Leo & Jamal reiterated to Phil that they liked their chances of winning much better against Brenchel than the Cowboys. Jamal added, "If we need to get down and dirty, best to believe we will."

DANCING QUEENS

While Jet & Cord ran through the bull course for a second time, Caroline & Jennifer, who spent a lengthy time trying to master the dance moves, finally felt prepared for a performance. In simple, elegant black dresses with bright red sashes around their waists and red flowers in their hair, the Country singers took to the stage and began the seductive dance as a guitarist and singer provided accompaniment. Using a combination of hip, feet, and arm movements, Caroline & Jennifer moved in perfect rhythm with the music and delivered a perfect performance on their first attempt. They received their next clue in last place, mere minutes behind Jet & Cord who successfully recited the quote. Arriving at the General Archive of the Indies in fourth place, a disbelieving Caroline & Jennifer were shocked to see their friends Jet & Cord up on the U-Turn board. In an attempt to help the Cowboys the Country singers U-Turned Brendon & Rachel hoping that the newlyweds were still behind them. Running away, Jennifer said, "I don't know why they did that!" However, their shock and confusion turned to excitement when they stepped on the mat in fourth place and noted, "We have danced our way into the final four again. We are good enough so why not go all the way?"

OH MY GRAVY

When they finally reached the U-Turn and saw their faces on the board, Cowboys Jet & Cord weren't surprised. Jet said, "Those two dirty suckers. You can't trust those two guys." After completing the flamenco dance, the Cowboys arrived at Plaza de Espana in last place where Phil eliminated them from the Race. On the experience, Jet said, "We run as good a race as we can run with our character and our integrity in tact. One of my favorite scriptures said, �The horse is made ready for the day of battle but victory belongs to the Lord.' Victory wasn't ours this time." Cord added, "Win or lose, we're gonna give glory to God that we got to do this�and say, �Oh my gravy, I've been around the world three times.'"

2410 ROUTE MARKERS

Roadblock: Many consider The Barber of Seville to be the most recognizable opera in the world. This Roadblock required teams to become barbers of Seville using a sharp blade, shaving cream, and a balloon. They had to use the proper shaving technique to shave the sensitive balloon customer in sixty seconds. If they cut the customer, they would have to try again.

Performed Roadblock: Connor, Jamal, Jennifer, Jet, Rachel Detour: A Detour is a choice between two tasks. In this Detour, teams had to choose between Spanish Steps and Run With the Balls. Spanish Steps required teams to join a flamenco group and master the steps of the rhythmic routine. Once they were in sync with the professionals they would receive their next clue. Run With the Balls required teams to wear "bumperz" and run through the streets of Seville while avoiding other bulls. They had to identify a motto along the way and recite the quote at the end of the course to receive their next clue.

Spanish Steps: Caroline/Jennifer, Jet/Cord

Run With the Balls: Dave/Connor, Leo/Jamal, Jet/Cord, Brendon/Rachel

Double U-Turn: Leo/Jamal U-Turned Jet/Cord, Caroline/Jennifer U-Turned Brendon/Rachel (Brenchel already passed U-Turn)

Speed Bump: Caroline & Jennifer faced a Speed Bump, a task they had to perform for coming in last place in the previous leg. In this Speed Bump, the Country singers had to deliver six Spanish hams through the narrow city streets to Café Las Teresas.

Order of Finish: 1. Dave & Connor 2. Brendon & Rachel 3. Leo & Jamal 4. Caroline & Jennifer 5. Jet & Cord