The Amazing Race Episode 21.09 Fishy Kiss

PERFECT PLAN ELIMINATES ABBIE & RYAN

A U-Turn plan hatched by twins Natalie & Nadiya that hinges on nice guys Jaymes & James for its execution worked to eliminate dating divorcees Abbie & Ryan.

PICK A FLIGHT

Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 7:32pm, Chippendales Jaymes & James ripped open their clue revealing a red, white, and blue striped flag with instructions to fly to the capital city of that country. After using a computer, they identified it as the Dutch flag, and began their trip to Amsterdam. When they landed, they had to travel by rail to the central train station. At the airport, the three lead teams all booked different flights into Amsterdam. Chippendales Jaymes & James wanted to play it safe so they booked a direct flight landing at 12:15pm on KLM. Twins Natalie & Nadiya wanted to take a chance with a tight connection in Rome that would get them into Amsterdam earliest-- at 11:30am. Meanwhile, dating couple Trey and Lexi settled for a Cyprus Airlines flight connecting through Larnaca landing at 1:05pm.

HATCHING A PLAN

Before all going their separate ways, the three hatched a plan in case a Double U-Turn popped up along the racecourse. The first of the three teams to reach it would U-Turn dating divorcees Ryan & Abbie. Then the second team would U-Turn the team who U-Turned Ryan & Abbie, blocking any chance for Ryan & Abbie to U-Turn a team behind them. This would effectively turn the Double U-Turn into a single U-Turn against the dating divorcees. All six racers were clear on the plan, but one, Chippendale Jaymes, showed signs of hesitation, telling the group, "I don't want to hurt nobody's feelings." The twins replied, "That was cute when there was eleven of us. Get with the program." The group joked that evil James had to be in charge of the team instead of nice Jaymes if they got to the U-Turn board. Jaymes later added, "In a perfect world for me, there would be no U-Turn. I'm completely uncomfortable U-Turning Abbie & Ryan. Why lose a friend if you don't got to?"

LESSONS LEARNED

Departing the Pit Stop at 5:28am, dating divorcees Abbie & Ryan appeared energized and ready to battle to catch up with teams. At the airport, they realized their best flight options connected through Frankfurt. Remembering their debacle in Frankfurt two legs ago, the couple learned a valuable lesson, and this time they booked two different connections. If for some reason they missed the first one, they could take the second one that would still get them into Amsterdam at 2:05pm at the latest. This still would put them in Amsterdam well before for last place Josh & Brent, who departed the Pit Stop at 8:11am. The Beekmans discovered that their best option connected through Oslo and landed in Amsterdam at 4:35pm. Landing in Frankfurt, Abbie & Ryan ran to the gate for their earlier connection and found that check-in was closed. After trying and failing to convince the stern gate agent to let them on the flight, the dating divorcees settled for their backup flight that would land in Amsterdam at 2:05pm. Boarding the flight, a frustrated Ryan said, "I'm about over Frankfurt right now." Just as the couple settled in for take-off, the captain made an announcement over the intercom. Because of mechanical difficulties, a faulty deicer, they had to switch planes. With tears in her eyes, Abbie told Ryan, "I'm over it. We're just stuck right now." After taking a shuttle to a new plane, Ryan said, "It's almost comical. If it wasn't two million dollars I probably would be laughing."

FISHY FAST FORWARD

Landing in Amsterdam in first place, twins Natalie & Nadiya took the train to Central Station and ripped open their clue to find a Fast Forward. To attempt it, the twins had to make their way to the Van Gogh Cafe and find a marked bus. With a lead over other teams, Natalie & Nadiya arrived at the Van Gogh Cafe and boarded a bus called the Floating Dutchman. Believing they were on a sight-seeing bus along the streets of Amsterdam, the twins were shocked when the bus made a turn and headed straight into the river. One twin squealed, "It's a boat bus!" Once the bus started moving through the water, the twins had seven minutes to eat five herring each before the bus returned to shore. If they failed to eat all the herring in the allotted time, the bus would return to the cafe and wait 10 minutes before they could try again. As soon as the waiter served up the plate of herring, the twins started chewing and swallowing giant bites of the fish trying to beat the clock. With Jaymes & James approaching the Van Gogh Cafe hoping to also try for the Fast Forward, the twins had less than three minutes to eat two herrings each. With one minute left, the twins toasted each other as both ate their remaining one herring finishing well before the time ran out. Receiving their clue from the waiter, the twins ripped it open sending them to the Pit Stop in Ransdorp behind the church at a house rumored to be that of Rembrandt's mistress. After the bus returned to shore, the twins saw Chippendales Jaymes & James at the cafe before jumping into a taxi headed for Ransdorp. Stepping onto the mat in first place, the twins cheered wildly when Phil awarded them with $5,000 each as Nadiya joked, "All the clothes that we wanted."

ENJOYING AMSTERDAM

With the Fast Forward taken, Jaymes & James now made their way to the dock at Herenmarket and jumped into a boat bound for Magere Brug. Kicking back and enjoying the beautiful scenery along the canals of Amsterdam, the Chippendales joked, "We're gonna enjoy the calm before the storm." Nearing the bridge, they kept an eye out for poffertjesboot, (literal translation: pancake puff boat) where they would find their next clue. Spotting the white boat, the Chippendales pulled up alongside it and took their clue along with two servings of the delicious poffertjes pastry. As they devoured the poffertjes, the Chippendales ripped open their clue to discover a Detour, forcing them to choose between Back in Time and Organ Grind. Back in Time required teams to work with a group of live extras to recreate Rembrandt's world famous painting The Night Watch. They had to dress as characters in the painting and then place the extras with their props in the same positions as the characters in the work of art. Organ Grind required teams to find one of three organs stationed on three different bridges. Then, while one team member operated the giant street organ, the other had to collect tips. Once the team earned 30 euro, the organ grinder would hand them their next clue.

ORGAN GRINDERS

Wanting to ignore the note at the bottom of the clue warning of a U-Turn ahead, Jaymes & James jumped off their boat back onto land and decided to grind an organ for tips. After walking onto a bridge and choosing an organ, James used his muscles to turn the giant crank that produced lovely music while Jaymes flitted around asking people for donations. Although Jaymes had some early success gathering a few Euros here and there, at around the halfway point (14 Euro) the big donors dried up. At that point, the Chippendales decided, "We need a spectacle." So they ripped off their shirts and donned the trademark Chippendale's cuffs and collars. Now dancing shirtless in the streets of Amsterdam with James' continued accompaniment on the organ, Jaymes worked his magic and charmed locals, including a fair number of men, to donate Euros. What finally put them over the top was a 10 Euro donation from a grandmother and her three grandkids. Opening their next clue, the Chippendales had to travel on foot to Museum Geelvinck.

BIG DECISION

In a botanical garden at the museum, the Chippendales found the Double U-Turn board and now had to make a decision. Jaymes admitted that he had hoped and expected that Trey & Lexi and the twins would have beaten them to the board so they didn't have to use the U-Turn. Crossing his arms, Jaymes told James, "I don't want to play dirty. I don't want to play mean. We're gonna lose a friend if we do this. I feel awful." However, after some consideration of his hopeful family back home, Jaymes tapped the screen to U-Turn his friends Abbie & Ryan and apologized to their picture saying, "We don't know if we can beat y'all for the million and we need it more than you guys do." Opening their next clue, the Chippendales now had to take a bus to Ransdorp and find the marked field. Landing third in Amsterdam, dating couple Trey & Lexi also chose organ grind hoping that the Chippendales had already used the U-Turn on Abbie & Ryan. Running into the botanical gardens at the museum, any concerns the dating couple had about the Chippendales were quickly erased as Lexi said, "Jaymes & James stuck to the plan. All is good." Running back out, Trey laughed, "Abbie & Ryan are gonna be so pissed and that puts smiles on our faces."

MEETING AGAIN

In a moment of pure dejà vu, of Abbie & Ryan's and Josh & Brent's flights landed within minutes of each other and the two teams coincidentally met just inside the airport. Giving each other big hugs, the two teams once again agreed to work together to get through the leg as Ryan said, "It's one of those days. Let's just do it." Josh later remarked, "It's an odd thing...we're not competitive with each other and yet we both know one of us is going to have to lose." Ryan added, "There's not a threat with them. They seem resigned to the fact they'd gone as far as they realistically could go."

SWITCHBACK

Nearing the small town of Ransdorp on a bus, Jaymes instantly recognized the green fields from a previous season of the Race. The muddy ditches were the location of a classic Amazing Race Roadblock where teams went ditch vaulting. Now, in a Switchback Roadblock, teams had to successfully vault across the ditch, pick up the location to the Pit Stop printed on a pair of wooden shoes, and then vault back again. Running over to the edge of the ditch and inspecting the pole he would be using to propel himself, a worried James muttered, "Oh boy, here we go." The professional dressed in orange simply told the Chippendale, "All you need is courage." After backing up and taking a short run, James hoisted himself on the pole as he sailed over the water and reached the other side of the ditch remaining clean and dry. Picking up the wooden shoes and tossing them over, James repeated the jump successfully and ran with Jaymes to the Pit Stop for a second place finish. Explaining to Phil why he used the U-Turn, Jaymes said, "I already sent my parents a card that we're coming back with the million dollars and I sent it to arrive while we were gone. So I gotta be a man of my word. I'm sorry but my parents are more important to me than Abbie & Ryan."

WORK OF ART

With Trey & Lexi finishing the leg in third place, Josh & Brent and Abbie & Ryan both chose to recreate Rembrandt's The Night Watch together inside as a storm dumped rain over Amsterdam. After dressing up in costumes, the two teams studied a large reprint of the painting and then walked to separate stations where dozens of extras stood. One by one, both teams identified the characters from the paintings, from a man with a red sash in the foreground to a man dressed in all red holding a gun. After a few more adjustments and additions, Abbie & Ryan stepped into their painting as the two final characters and received both approval and their clue from Rembrandt. Moments later, Josh & Brent completed their living work of art correctly, and they too received their clue.

UNEXPECTED

As the rain continued to pour down on the botanical gardens, Abbie & Ryan walked up to the U-Turn board ahead of Josh & Brent and couldn't believe what they saw. Disappointed, Abbie quietly said, "Thanks Jaymes & James." Not expecting this from the Chippendales, she later added, "These guys? I was blown away." In a bigger surprise, Josh & Brent were equally disappointed. Brent told Ryan, "We were just gonna have you guys U-Turn us. Then we would do the thing together." Since that wasn't an option because Trey & Lexi used the other U-Turn on the Chippendales, Josh & Brent now had to decide whether to wait for Abbie & Ryan who went off in the rain to start organ grinding or keep moving forward alone. Josh wanted to go help the dating divorcees, but Brent countered, "Somebody's gonna have to step on the mat first." Finally deciding to get into a taxi, Josh said, "I don't like this. Everybody wants them out of the Race because they want to keep us in the Race because we're not the strongest competitors." Brent replied, "Then we should just prove them wrong." With the rain preventing any foot traffic on the bridge, dating divorcees Abbie & Ryan discovered that organ grinding for tips wouldn't be easy. As Ryan turned the organ crank, an increasingly upset Abbie danced around for anyone who would give her money. When a kind and generous women offered to give Abbie the remaining balance to reach 30 Euros, Abbie gave her a huge hug and cried on her shoulder saying, "We've had a horrid day."

LAST DITCH EFFORT

In Ransdorp, after Brent volunteered Josh to ditch vault, Josh hurt his ankle when he ran to the ditch, but he still managed to vault over and back without getting wet. Stepping on the mat in fourth place, Josh told Phil, "Today was emotional because we just really, really hated leaving Abbie & Ryan behind." Insisting they still wanted to be in the Race, Brent added, "We're going hard right to the end." Having been the only racer to fall in the water while ditch-vaulting, Ryan, alongside Abbie, reached Phil on the mat in last place. After being eliminated, Ryan said, "You never get a chance like this. It's not only once in a lifetime. It's probably once in a hundred lifetimes. The Chippendales cost me two million dollars. I don't feel like we accomplished what we set out to accomplish and it just feels wrong. It doesn't feel right."

2109 ROUTE MARKERS

Roadblock: In a Switchback Roadblock, teams had to successfully vault across a ditch in Ransdorp, pick up the location to the Pit Stop printed on a pair of wooden shoes, and then vault back again. Performed Roadblock: James, Trey, Josh, Ryan

Detour: In this Detour, teams had to choose between Back in Time and Organ Grind. Back in Time required teams to work with a group of live extras to recreate Rembrandt's world famous painting The Night Watch. They had to dress as characters in the painting and then place the extras with their props in the same positions as the characters in the work of art. Organ Grind required teams to find one of three organs stationed on three different bridges. Then while one team member operated the giant street organ, the other had to collect tips. Once the team earned 30 euros, the organ grinder would hand them their next clue.

Back In Time: Abbie/Ryan, Josh/Brent Organ Grind: Jaymes/James, Trey/Lexi

Double U-Turn: Jaymes/James

U-Turned Abbie/Ryan; Trey/Lexi U-Turned Jaymes/James

Fast Forward: In this Fast Forward, Natalie & Nadiya had seven minutes to eat five herring each before a floating bus returned to shore. If they failed to eat all the herring in the allotted time, the bus would return to the cafe and wait 10 minutes before they could try again. Natalie/Nadiya won Fast Forward.

Order of Finish: 1. Natalie & Nadiya 2. Jaymes & James 3. Trey & Lexi 4. Josh & Brent 5. Abbie & Ryan ...