The Amazing Race Episode 17.02 A Kiss Saves the Day (Ghana)

Putting the watermelon face smash behind them, home shopping hosts Brook & Claire took Africa by storm as they won the leg in Accra, Ghana. Meanwhile, birth mother and daughter Andie & Jenna bid an emotional farewell on the mat as the second eliminated team.

GOING TO GHANA

Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 11:55am, Express Pass holding couple Jill & Thomas ripped open their clue instructing them to fly over 3,100 miles to the city of Accra in the West African nation of Ghana. When they landed, they had to make their way to Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, built as a tribute for the father of Ghanaian independence.

Leaving Eastnor Castle almost 30 minutes after Jill & Thomas in third place, Ivy League a cappella singer Connor & Jonathan decided to wait for fourth and fifth place teams, home shopping hosts Brook & Claire and beach volleyball partners Katie & Rachel, so all three teams could join forces for the drive to Heathrow Airport. Needing directions, Brook took charge when she spotted a man driving a large tractor by offering a kiss in exchange for the help. Once Brook got the directions, she made good on the promise by planting a loud smack on the Englishman before running off, later saying, "A kiss saves the day."

Arriving at Heathrow in first place, Jill & Thomas looked at the departure board for flights to Accra, Ghana and found Virgin Atlantic. Running to the counter, the dating couple learned that there was only one flight a day to Accra and all ten teams would have plenty of time to make it. A disappointed Thomas exclaimed, "Man, we had a frickin' lead. That sucks."

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Landing in the colorful and chaotic city of Accra, teams instantly reacted to their new and unfamiliar surrounding as they raced in taxis to Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Home shopping hosts Brook & Claire noticed the many vendors on the side of the road carrying their wares on top of their heads, saying, "This place is amazing. I'm in awe right now." On the flip side, Chad eyed the littered streets commenting, "Look at all the trash." Meanwhile, dating couple Thomas & Jill and doctors Nat & Kat quickly discovered just how fast and daring the taxi drivers of Accra could be as their drivers darted through the traffic.

While stopped in traffic in their taxis, two teams had two wildly different reactions when approached by impoverished beggars. A look of sheer terror crossed Jonathan's face when a man reached into the open window of his and Connor's taxi asking for money. After Connor declined the request, he and Jonathan urged the taxi driver to drive away as Connor complained, "Ew, he spit on us." Meanwhile, in a different taxi, Andie handed over some money to a beggar, saying, "How can you resist that face? He's somebody's son. I have children and he looked hungry." Jenna later commented, "Andie is very selfless. I think that she always has great intentions."

In the last leg, father and daughter Gary & Mallory had to overcome a flat tire in the English countryside. Their transportation woes continued in this leg when their taxi stalled, dropping them into last place. An expressive and incredibly worried Mallory asked, "Oh my gosh, what do we do?" Eventually, on Mallory's suggestion, Gary jumped out of the car and pushed the stalled taxi out of the crowded street to the side of the road. The team then flagged down another taxi as a breathless Mallory politely begged her new driver, "Really fast, we're in a race if you don't mind."

LET'S MAKE A DEAL

After ripping open their clue at Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, teams raced to expansive and crowded Makola Market. Reaching the cluebox in the market first, tattooed dating couple Nick & Vicki found a Roadblock. In it, one team member had to sell as many sunglasses as it took to reach 15 cedis, about 10 dollars, while not selling any pair for less than 3 cedis. When she read the clue, home shopping host Brook said, "Are you kidding me? I have to sell something? Bring it on."

As soon as Brook hit the marketplace she raked in the cash. She later said, "My strategy was pitching this product for their style." Meanwhile, not getting any customers to pull the trigger on a purchase, a frustrated Nick said, "I don't have a technique. It's definitely a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be." Chad had an interesting strategy of his own that caused girlfriend Stephanie to bust out laughing. Chad recounted, "I was definitely trying to target the women, use sex to sell." Chad's strategy wasn't entirely successful but he managed to finish in fourth place behind Brook, Connor, and Michael who surprised his son Kevin who said "Dad, good job. We're the second place team." After reading their clue, all four teams jumped in taxis heading to the June 4th area on Teshi Road to find Peace Motor Spare Parts.

HARD SELL

Jill and Kat had their own shares of problems trying to convince customers to buy sunglasses. Becoming frustrated watching his girlfriend, Thomas later commented, "When your teammate is doing the Roadblock you certainly have that element of feeling helpless. You don't want to end up in last not having used the Express Pass…so that's always in the back of my mind." Jill didn't help her cause by pointing out a scratch in the lens of a pair of glasses, potentially ruining a sale. This prompted Thomas to later say, "I hope you're not worried about people's feelings on this race." However, Jill still managed to finish ahead of Kat who stood alone in the market after Nick finally made his last sale to a truly colorful customer. Nat tried to support her friend, shouting, "Hard sell! Hard sell!" Customers didn't want to budge from one cedi for Kat, but eventually she found a woman willing to pay the higher asking price. As the doctors left in last place, Kat joked, "I'm definitely not gonna be quitting my day job."

ANTENNA ANTICS

Home shopping hosts Brook & Claire continued to lead the way as they opened their clue at Peace Motor Spare Parts to find a Detour having the choice of Tune In or Check Out. In Tune In, teams had to make their way to an electrical supply store and pick up a television antenna system. Then, teams had to find a marked house and install the antenna to the specifications of the owner. When teams got the TV signal properly tuned in, the owner would give them their next clue. In Check Out, teams made their way to a woodworking shop where coffins are created to represent the lifestyles of their eventual occupants. Once they chose a coffin, teams had to transport it through the backstreets of town to a showroom, Hello Coffin, where they would receive their next clue.

Picking up an antenna system and matching pink safety glasses at Adom Electricals, Brook & Claire found a marked house and began the assembly process. Standing on a ladder, Brook, armed with a hammer and nails, began to pound wood slats together as a base to support the metal antenna. Meanwhile, Claire started feeding the cord from the roof into the living room of the house. When Brook's handiwork resulted in a sturdy antenna perched high on the corrugated roof, she exclaimed, "Who says girls can't hammer?"

As dating couple Chad & Stephanie and father and son Michael & Kevin joined Brook & Claire at constructing antennas, beach volleyball partners Katie & Rachel opted to haul a large, heavy coffin through town. Arriving at Emmanuel's Workshop, Katie & Rachel marveled at the wide array of unique coffins, including all sorts of animals, a camera, and a keyboard piano. The volleyball partners settled on the piano, lifted it onto a wheeled cart, and tied it down to prevent it from sliding off.

GIRL POWER

As Brook & Claire tried to make the fuzzy picture on the television become clear by adjusting the antenna, Katie & Rachel spotted the Hello Coffin showroom that stood across a busy street. Pulling the coffin through the streets as horns blared around them, the volleyball partners made it across the street and headed towards the showroom. Just before Katie & Rachel deliver their coffin, Brook & Claire found the sweet spot that produced a clear picture on the homeowner's television. Both teams ripped open their clues instructing them to travel to the next Pit Stop at Kaneshie Market, one of the largest markets in all of West Africa.

With two all-female teams in a battle for first place, two other all-female teams became locked in a battle for last place. Doctors Nat & Kat and birth mother and daughter Andie & Jenna along with father and daughter Gary & Mallory sat in taxis whose drivers couldn't find Peace Motor Spare Parts. Eventually, the drivers of all three taxis got out to ask other locals for help as well as convene with each other. When Gary & Mallory's driver got the right directions, doctors Nat & Kat told their driver to follow closely behind. However, Andie & Jenna's driver was still out of his car asking for help allowing Gary & Mallory and Nat & Kat to gain a small lead on the birth mother and daughter.

Arriving at the very crowded Kaneshie Market, home shopping hosts Brook & Claire ran through the maze of vendors and customers looking for Phil just as beach volleyball partners Katie & Rachel pulled up. Both teams scoured the market in search of the Kiwi host, but Brook & Claire spotted him first to claim victory. The ecstatic home shopping hosts won a 10-day trip for two from Travelocity to Hawaii. Claire later said, "We might come off as the ditzy la-la girls…but the ditzy la-las I think are here to stay."

A CLOSE FINISH

With Katie & Rachel taking second place, father and son Michael & Kevin improving from last leg to third, and dating couple Chad & Stephanie sliding into fourth place, Ivy League a cappella singers Connor & Jonathan decided to switch from antenna building to coffin hauling. At the same time, Gary & Mallory and Nat & Kat finally arrived at the Detour with Andie & Jenna close behind. While Connor & Jonathan had a few problems delivering their fish-shaped coffin, including hitting a local's car along the way, Kat took a tumble by losing control of her and Nat's giant lobster coffin.

After Jill & Thomas claimed fifth place, tattooed dating couple Nick & Vicki led the pack of remaining teams heading to Kaneshie Market but they along with everyone else found themselves enmeshed in gridlock traffic. The teams with the more aggressive drivers made their way through the traffic faster but that speed came with a price of comfort. Leaving the Detour in ninth place, doctors Nat & Kat held on for dear life as their driver essentially created a new lane of traffic dodging cars as he pulled the doctors ahead of the other teams. Nat joked, "I can't look anymore. I think I'm having a religious experience." Connor & Jonathan's taxi followed suit giving the singers a cushion on other teams, but watching their driver narrowly avert an accident prompted Connor to say, "I want my mom." The crazy driving paid off for both teams though, as Connor & Jonathan stepped on the mat in sixth place and Nat & Kat placed seventh.

TEARFUL GOODBYE

With Nick & Vicki taking eighth place, it came down to Gary & Mallory, who had taxi trouble all day, and Andie & Jenna who hoped they could continue their journey of exploring their new relationship. A stressed out Mallory said, "We gotta catch a break here!" Jenna told Andie, "This is it, put it all on the line." In the end, the father and daughter finally caught the break they needed to stay in the race, but Mallory almost burst in anticipation and dread on the mat waiting for Phil to deliver the good news.

Finishing in last place, birth mother and daughter began to cry when Phil eliminated them from the race. Jenna said, "My whole life I've wondered who my birth mother was and it's a treasure to have it be Andie." In an emotional interview afterwards, a teary Andie told Jenna, "I chose a good family and I chose them for you. That was my gift to you that I wanted you to have and I hated that I couldn't give that to you myself. You are who you are because of that family and that is a comfort that I wouldn't have had without this experience."