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The Amazing Race 18

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Template:Infobox television Amazing Race

The Amazing Race 18 (also known as The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business) is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 featured eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition for the first time since Season 11 – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.[1]

The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday, February 20, 2011. It aired on CBS in the United States on Sunday nights at 8:00 pm ET/PT with the two-hour season finale on May 8, 2011. The show is hosted by Phil Keoghan.

Sisters LaKisha "Kisha" and Jennifer "Jen" Hoffman were the winners of this edition of the race.

Production

Development and filming

The Amazing Race 18 was the first season of the United States series to be broadcast in high-definition television.[2] While most other prime-time television shows have transitioned to high definition, including other reality television shows, previous seasons of The Amazing Race have used standard-definition television due to the cost and fragility of high-definition recording equipment.[3] International versions of The Amazing Race, including the fourth Asian and second Latin American seasons, had already transitioned to high-definition. In addition, many previous editions of Elimination Station were filmed in high-definition. This season of the Race traveled a little over 40,000 miles (64,000 km) across 23 cities and five continents.

The race's Starting Line was at the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm near Palm Springs, California.

Filming started on November 20, 2010 at the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm near Palm Springs, California where the first task had teams sorting through hundreds of paper airplanes to find one that said "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services", the full name of Qantas Airways, awarding them one of two flights to their first destination: Sydney, Australia.[4] Teams were spotted at Oceanworld in Manly near Sydney, Australia around November 22, 2010[5] and a day later around the mining town of Broken Hill, New South Wales in the Australian Outback.[6] Other locales cited as destinations are Yokohama, Japan, where teams swam in freezing waters near Mount Fuji, and the series' first visit to Liechtenstein, where a task had teams measure the length of the principality on mopeds.[4][7] Teams also visited Lijiang and Kunming, China; Kolkata and Varanasi, India; Vienna, Austria; Zermatt, Switzerland; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[8]

Snapple sponsored this season of The Amazing Race, with "Snapple Real Facts" introduced during commercial breaks. The sixth leg of "Unfinished Business" – taking place in Kolkata, India – features several tasks involving a papaya-and-mango flavored tea Snapple developed and named after the show. Ford also sponsored the season, with their new Focus serving as the prize car for the season.

The Express Pass, introduced in the previous series, returned, allowing the team that places first in the first leg to skip any later task in the race. The last team to complete the first task was forced to complete a U-Turn in the next leg, performing both tasks of the leg's Detour.[8] A new game mechanic was also introduced in this season: legs without a mandatory rest period between them. At the end of the first leg in Sydney, Australia, and the fourth leg in Lijiang, China, teams were told their placements and then ordered to keep racing with a new Route Info clue; the first team to check in was still awarded a prize and the last team to check in was not eliminated and did not have to perform a Speed Bump in the next leg.

Casting

See also: List of The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series) contestants

The 18th season of The Amazing Race has been subtitled "Unfinished Business", and features eleven returning teams from previous seasons for a second chance to win the million dollar prize. Keoghan described all the contestants as teams that "came so close to winning but for one reason or another just didn't quite make it over the finish line in first place".[9] Keoghan gave examples of two teams: Zev and Justin from Season 15, who had finished first on a leg, but one of them had lost his passport too late to continue racing; and LaKisha and Jennifer from Season 14, where they took an unfortunately-timed restroom break while racing to the Pit Stop and were eliminated.[9] The prior experience of all the teams in previous seasons allowed the producers to increase the difficulty of the various tasks and challenges they were to face.[9] All of the teams have been from recent seasons of the Race; the earliest season represented is the 12th. According to Bertram Van Munster, they stayed with more recent teams because "if we're digging too far back, people might not even remember who they were".[4] The 14th season is represented by five of the eleven teams; Van Munster called this particular version of the race "a very unique season" and justified its larger proportion of teams.[4] Though they had considered fan-favorites Toni and Dallas from the 13th season, Keoghan stated they felt the other selected teams "have the best stories and the best motivation" for casting.[10]

The returning teams, their prior race placements, and their "Unfinished Business" are:

  • From Season 12:
    • Ron and Christina Hsu, father and daughter, 2nd place; Ron & Christina had a huge lead for most of the final leg in Anchorage, until Christina was brought down by the final mind-blowing Roadblock, costing them the race.
    • Kent Kaliber[a] and Vyxsin Fiala, dating goths and Hot Topic models, 5th place; Kent & Vyxsin suffered a communications breakdown in Tuscany due to their lack of experience driving a car with a manual transmission. They also wasted their U-Turn power by erroneously using it on a team that was ahead of them.
  • From Season 14:
    • Margie and Luke Adams, mother and son, 3rd place; although Margie & Luke were in the lead for most of the final leg in Maui, Luke stumbled at the final Roadblock, costing them the race.
    • Amanda Blackledge and Kris Klicka, engaged (dating in Season 14), 8th place; Amanda & Kris were U-Turned by Margie & Luke in Siberia, resulting in Amanda & Kris's elimination.
    • Jaime Edmondson and Cara Rosenthal, former cheerleaders for the NFL's Miami Dolphins, 2nd place; Jaime & Cara's cab driver in Maui got lost on the way to the final Roadblock destination, costing Jaime & Cara valuable time.
    • Kisha and Jen Hoffman, sisters and sports coaches, 4th place; Kisha & Jen were U-Turned by Tammy & Victor in Beijing, China. In addition, on the way to the Pit Stop, Kisha & Jen took an emergency bathroom break after Jen drank four bottles of water during the Roadblock. As a result, they were overtaken and Kisha & Jen fell to last place and were eliminated.
    • Mel and Mike White, father and son writers, 6th place; Mel & Mike's cab driver took them to the wrong place in Phuket, setting them behind all the other teams. Mel & Mike could not recover from this setback and were eliminated.
  • From Season 15:
    • Zev Glassenberg and Justin Kanew, best friends, 9th place; after checking in first in Phnom Penh, Zev & Justin realized they had lost Zev's passport and they were unable to find it before all other remaining teams checked in, resulting in Zev & Justin's elimination.
    • Herbert "Flight Time" Lang and Nathaniel "Big Easy" Lofton, teammates on the Harlem Globetrotters, 4th place; Big Easy could not complete the Kafka-themed Roadblock in Prague and took a 4-hour penalty, resulting in Flight Time & Big Easy's elimination.
  • From Season 16:
    • Jet and Cord McCoy, brothers and rodeo cowboys, 2nd place; on the plane from Shanghai to San Francisco, eventual winners Dan & Jordan were able to move up to first class for free, giving them a lead that Jet & Cord were never able to overcome.
  • From Season 17:
    • Gary and Mallory Ervin, father and daughter, 6th place; Gary & Mallory got lost for several hours trying to find the Roadblock location in Oman, only lost 5 minutes before the 5th team arrived at the Pit Stop.

This is the first and, thus far, only season to have more than one African-American team reach the final leg of the race, as Kisha & Jen and Flight Time & Big Easy make up two of the final three teams of this season.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:

Team Relationship Position (by leg) Roadblocks
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ⋐9⋑ 10 11 12
Kisha & Jen Sisters 3rd 4th 4th 5th 4th 6th 3rd 4th 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st Kisha 6, Jen 6
Flight Time & Big Easy Harlem Globetrotters 5th 2nd 5th2 6th 6th⋐ 7th 1st 2nd 5th⊃ 1st 3rd 2nd Flight Time 6, Big Easy 6
Gary & Mallory Father/Daughter 1st 9th 2nd 3rd 2ndε4 1st 4th 6th 4th 3rd 1st 3rd Gary 6,4 Mallory 6
Zev & Justin Best Friends 4th 1st 1st 8th 8th 4th 2nd 1st 1st 4th 4th Zev 5, Justin 5
Kent & Vyxsin Dating Goths 10th 7th 7th 9th 5th⊃5 5th 6th 3rd 3rd 5th6 Kent 4, Vyxsin 5
Jet & Cord Brothers/Cowboys 11th 3rd 6th 2nd 1st 2nd 5th 5th 6th⊂ Jet 4, Cord 4
Ron & Christina Father/Daughter 8th 10th 3rd 4th 7th 3rd 7th Ron 3, Christina 3
Margie & Luke Mother/Son 7th 5th 8th 1st 3rd 8th Margie 2, Luke 3
Jaime & Cara Former NFL Cheerleaders 6th 8th 9th 7th 9th⊂
⋑ 		Jaime 2, Cara 2
Mel & Mike Father/Son 9th 6th 10th3 Mel 1, Mike 1
Amanda & Kris Engaged 2nd 11th∪1 Amanda 1, Kris 0
  • A red team placement means the team was eliminated.
  • A purple ε indicates that the team decided to use the Express Pass on that leg.
  • An underlined leg number indicates that there was no mandatory rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were ordered to continue racing, although the first place team was still awarded a prize for that leg. An underlined team placement indicates that the team came in last on a "continue racing" leg and was ordered to continue racing, but did not have to perform a Speed Bump, which is why their placement doesn't have a blue underline.
  • An underlined blue team's placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump during the next leg of the race.
  • An orange ∪ indicates that the team was penalized for finishing last in the Starting Line task and were subject to an automatic U-Turn at the first Detour of the Race.
  • A brown ⊃ or a cyan ⋑ indicates that the team chose to use one of the two U-Turns in a Double U-Turn; ⊂ or ⋐ indicates the team who received it; ⋐⋑ around a leg number indicates that only one of the two available U-Turns was used.
  1. ^ Amanda & Kris's automatic U-Turn penalty occurred in Leg 2.
  2. ^ Flight Time & Big Easy were initially checked in 3rd; however, they were retroactively issued a 30-minute penalty when Ron & Christina told Phil that the Globetrotters had taken their fanny pack by accident and did not return it to them. Ron & Christina were moved up to 3rd, and Kisha & Jen, who checked in within the half-hour penalty period, were checked in for 4th, ultimately dropping the Globetrotters to 5th.
  3. ^ Mel & Mike were treated for hypothermia while trying to complete the "Frog of Luck" Detour. They were unable to complete the task, and were told by the show's producers to go directly to the Pit Stop for elimination from The Amazing Race.[11]
  4. ^a b Gary & Mallory used the Express Pass to bypass the Roadblock in Leg 5. Before using the Express Pass, Gary elected to perform the Roadblock, and this is reflected in the total Roadblock count.[12]
  5. ^ When Kent & Vyxsin finished Leg 4, they were issued a 30-minute penalty for failing to take the required flight from Tokyo-Narita to Kunming, to be served at the next Pit Stop. They arrived at the Leg 5 Pit Stop 4th; during their penalty Kisha & Jen checked in, dropping Kent & Vyxsin to 5th.
  6. ^ Kent & Vyxsin initially arrived 3rd, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for taking a taxi instead of going on foot from the Roadblock to the Pit Stop as the clue had specified. Gary & Mallory and Zev & Justin, the only teams trailing Kent and Vyxsin at that point, checked in during the penalty time and Kent & Vyxsin were eliminated before the 30 minutes elapsed.

Episode title quotes

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.[13]

  1. "Head Down and Hold On" – Jaime & Cara's sailing instructor (non-racer)
  2. "I Never Looked So Foolish in My Whole Entire Life" – Kisha
  3. "We Had a Lot of Evil Spirits Apparently" – Christina
  4. "This is the Most Stupid Day Ever" – Vyxsin
  5. "Don't Ruin the Basketball Game" – Mallory
  6. "I Feel Like a Monkey in a Circus Parade" – Gary
  7. "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" – Cord
  8. "I Cannot Deal With Your Psycho Behavior" – Vyxsin
  9. "We're Good American People" – Zev
  10. "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen" – Zev
  11. "This is Where It Ends" – Justin

Prizes

The prize for each leg is awarded to the first place team for that leg. All trips are sponsored by Travelocity; the Leg 6 prize is sponsored by Snapple and the Leg 8 prize is sponsored by Ford.

  • Leg 1 – The Express Pass – an item that can be used on the race to skip any one task of the team's choosing.
  • Leg 2 – A trip for two to Cancun, Mexico
  • Leg 3 – A trip for two to the Hotel Punta Islita in Costa Rica
  • Leg 4 – A trip for two to Aruba
  • Leg 5 – US$5,000 each
  • Leg 6 – An Indian dinner for two featuring Bollywood-inspired dance entertainment, and ₹1,000,000 (over US$20,000) to share
  • Leg 7 – A trip for two to Hawaiʻi
  • Leg 8 – A 2012 Ford Focus for each racer
  • Leg 9 – A trip for two to Curaçao
  • Leg 10 – A trip for two to the Cook Islands
  • Leg 11 – A cruise for two on the Mediterranean Sea with visits to Rome and Casablanca
  • Leg 12 – US$1,000,000

Phil's Video Diary

A new feature to this season is an online show, allowing the viewers to see what happens behind the scenes of the Race, hosted by Keoghan.[14] This feature replaces the "Elimination Station" videos as seen in previous seasons.

  • Episode 1: The night before the first leg, Phil prepares to meet the eleven teams at Palm Springs, California. He then films the helicopter shots seen at the start of the episode. While traveling to Sydney, Phil explains that the flight had been delayed, meaning that the Pit Stop crew then only had a small time advantage over the teams. The final portion of the diary shows Phil filming the Pit Stop segment.
  • Episode 2: Phil films the establishing shot for Shelly Beach and quickly cleans his hair outside, revealing he had not showered before the film crew left Los Angeles. As they drive to Oceanworld Manly to film the Roadblock's establishing shots, Phil sticks his head out of the car window to dry it. Later, Phil explains that they are now flying back to Sydney to catch a flight to Japan, and at the airport, he plays around on the luggage carousel, pretending to be a piece of luggage.
  • Episode 3: Phil and the production crew arrive in Narita, Japan, and Phil explains why he loves to visit Japan. They head to the Yuhi Falls featured in the "Prayer of Purity" Detour task, enjoying the scenery, before explaining the task to his diary camera and then filming the piece for the show.
  • Episode 4: The film crew lands in Lijiang, China, and Phil explains the Baishui River crossing tourist attraction before filming the explanation for the "Yak Yak Yak" task. After the group heads to the top of Jade Dragon Mountain, Phil shares some grilled yak with one of the film crew, before the filming of the Roadblock explanation in Spruce Meadow is shown.
  • Episode 5: The film crew arrives in Kunming and Phil prepares to film the explanation of the "Embrace the Future" Detour Task, before poking fun at Barry, the sound technician, and how he has lost his voice. Later, while on the way to the Stone Forest, Barry has his voice back, and they film the Roadblock segment using time-lapse photography. Phil then comments on how the competition has ramped up on Leg 5 and he is interested in who will come in first on the Leg.
  • Episode 6: Phil and the production team arrive in Kolkata, and Phil remarks at how empty the streets are at 3 o'clock in the morning. By daybreak, the streets are full of cars and people, and Phil remarks on how he loves it when the Race goes to India. Phil arrives in Jorasanko to explain the Detour tasks, and then they visit the Victoria Institution School for the end of the "Bengali Literature" Detour task. At the Pit Stop location, Phil plays cricket with several local children until he breaks the bat, and apologizes to them, before filming the establishing shot for the Pit Stop.
  • Episode 7: In Varanasi, Phil remarks on how busy the city is in the morning, much like Kolkata. Phil walks down towards the Ganges, looking at the vegetable stalls on the way to the river. On the Ganges to film the Detour segments, Phil relaxes and says how he is enjoying traveling on the river. The film crew then heads to Ramnagar Fort to wait at the Pit Stop, where Phil once again enjoys watching the Ganges as the sun sets.
  • Episode 8: Arriving in Vienna from Delhi, Phil remarks on how different the weather is from India, as it is winter in the northern hemisphere. Phil walks through one of Vienna's Christmas markets before heading to the Austrian National Library where he rides on a horse-drawn carriage before filming the Detour introduction where the Detour choices are named "Father of Psychoanalysis" and "Mother of All Meals", rather than "Long Hard Walk" and "Quick and Easy Meal". The crew then heads to the Sigmund Freud Museum for the Freud's couch Detour before going to the Wiener Riesenrad for the eating Detour, where Barry eats a serving of Wiener Schnitzel, while a microphone is up against the schnitzel.
  • Episode 9: The crew arrives in Zermatt, Switzerland, and Phil films the bus they rode and the surroundings. He then walks down the main street to the Detour tasks, commenting on how they only allow electric vehicles in the city. Later, Phil attempts to figure out how the VéloSoleX works, before he rides it in the Liechtenstien Roadblock explanation.
  • Episode 10: Phil and the film crew leave their hotel early in the morning to head for the helicopter port that will take them onto the glaciers of the Matterhorn to film the Detour segment. They then take a gondola lift back down the mountain to Zermatt.
  • Episode 11: Phil takes in the view of Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach from his balcony, before heading to the beauty salon where a few crew members are being used to demonstrate the waxing route marker. Later, they head to the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum to prepare for the Pit Stop and film the portion explaining the museum before the next leg begins.

Race summary

The complete race route of The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business.
Destinations Air travel    Rail travel    Water travel    Bus travel
Helicopter travel    Bicycle travel    Gondola travel
Route Markers Detour    Roadblock    U-Turn    Speed Bump    Pit Stop

Leg 1 (United States → Australia)

At Oceanworld Manly in Sydney, teams participated in a Roadblock where they did the Shark Dive Extreme: a scuba dive in the aquarium's shark tank.

Airdate: February 20, 2011

In the Race's first Roadblock, one team member had to scuba dive in the Oceanworld shark and ray tank and search the tank for a compass. The compass included a guide to decode a message hidden in series of nautical flags outside. The correctly decoded message instructed teams to go to the Manly 16 ft Skiff Sailing Club, find the Commodore, and tell him the password "I am Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • At the Starting Line, teams had to search through a field containing hundreds of paper airplanes with various words written on them for one matching the clue "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services", and had to figure out that this was a reference to Qantas, which was written on the correct airplanes. Once teams presented a correct airplane to Phil, he would give them their first Route Info clue and tickets for one of two flights; the first eight teams got tickets for the first flight, and the last three teams got tickets for a flight that left 90 minutes after the first.[Note 1] In addition, the last team to complete the task would be penalized with a U-Turn on the Race's first Detour.
  • At the sailing club, teams had to join a sailing crew and ride a 16ft Skiff through a race course to a series of buoys that had their next clue.

Leg 2 (Australia)

In the Outback city of Broken Hill, teams searched for an intersection of two streets named after chemical elements (Broken Hill's Silver Street pictured).

Airdate: February 27, 2011

The Detour was a choice between Spirit World and Natural World. In Spirit World, teams made a traditional Australian Aboriginal stone mosaic based on a model, and then had to perform a dance that is traditionally done to honor ancestors on top of the mosaic before receiving their clue from an Aboriginal elder. In Natural World, teams made traditional Australian Aboriginal paintings by spraying a mix of water and a clay-like pigment out of their mouths to make four specific silhouette images on a piece of slate (an outline of each of their hands and stencils of a lizard and a kangaroo), before they could receive their clue from an Aboriginal elder.

Additional tasks
  • The clue teams received from Phil at the Pit Stop instructed them to find "To Sail To Stop", and left them to figure that this referred to a sculpture of an anchor near Sydney Town Hall. There they could sign up for one of two charter flights to Broken Hill, the second of which left half an hour later than the first.
  • After completing the Detour, teams were told to return to Broken Hill and find the "home of the Magpies", leaving them to figure out that this was a reference to the Broken Hill Football League's Central Magpies Australian rules football team's stadium: Central Football Club.
  • At the Central Football Club, teams dressed up as kangaroos complete with Kangoo Jump shoes and were given a periodic table with the symbols Hg and Bi highlighted. They were left to figure out that these are respectively the symbols for mercury and bismuth and that those elements were also names of two streets in town that met at an intersection where their next clue was located.

Leg 3 (Australia → Japan)

The Roadblock in Kamakura had teams participating in Yabusame, the traditional Japanese mounted archery.

Airdate: March 6, 2011

During the Pit Stop, all teams took a train back into Sydney to start the Leg. In this Leg's Roadblock, one team member dressed in the traditional clothes of a samurai archer and learned the Yabusame ritual through observation, consisting of a meditative form ritual before a traditional posing with the yumi bow. Once they performed the first two aspects of the ritual to the dojo master's satisfaction, they would then mount a rotating wooden horse and hit a wooden target with an arrow before they could receive their next clue.

In the Detour, teams chose between Prayer of Purity and Frog of Luck. In Prayer of Purity, teams put on keikogi and traveled to the nearby woods where they would take part in a Shinto cleansing ritual. First they would have to learn a prayer that consisted of a chant, lighting incense, and then shouting while thrusting a walking stick out in front of them. Once they completed the prayers, they would stand under the Yuhi Falls and endure being drenched in 45 °F (7 °C) water cascading down onto them for one minute before receiving their next clue. In Frog of Luck, teams stripped down to their undergarments and put on fundoshi over them before walking out to a mudpit where they had to search for a toy frog in the mud while having mud thrown at them by locals. Once they found the frog, they would have to present it to the nearby frog master for their next clue.

Leg 4 (Japan → China)

In Lijiang, teams rode yaks on the terraces of the Baishui River, beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Airdate: March 13, 2011

In this Leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search through tens of thousands of wooden charms for a set of twelve that correspond to the symbols of the Chinese zodiac. Once they collected the charms, they had to place them on a mobile in the correct order which was the traditional procession of the signs according to myth – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig – before they could receive their next clue.

The Detour for this Leg was Hammer or Horn. In Hammer, teams traveled to a candy shop where they used wooden mallets to pulverize a peanut brittle into the right consistency. They then had to cut it into pieces and box them before the candy maker would give them their next clue. In Horn, teams traveled to a square where they had to pick up a large traditional horn and lead a group of Nakhi dancers to Wencheng Palace on the other side of town for their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • At the Jade Dragon Mountain, teams had to properly saddle a yak, after which one team member rode the yak across a portion of the Baishui River to receive their next clue.
  • Upon arriving at the Old Town of Lijiang, teams had to put a wish into a prayer wheel via a slot that corresponded to their sign in the Chinese zodiac, and call out the name of their sign. Once they got the right signs, they would receive their next clue.

Leg 5 (China)

Teams traveled to the Stone Forest outside Kunming for a Roadblock paying homage to Yunnan's contributions to the field of paleontology.

Airdate: March 20, 2011

The Detour was a choice between Honor the Past and Embrace the Future. In Honor the Past, teams had to put on a traditional Tibetan outfit at the Yunnan Province Cultural Center and then watch a theater troupe. Without having taken any notes, teams then had to go off-stage, and put a series of 15 dolls dressed up like the actors in the order of the procession on stage. If they got the right order, they would receive their clue. If not, they would have to start over. In Embrace the Future, teams had to put on safety gear and then bring three heavy boxes up to the roof of the China Great Wall Assets Management Company building. Once there, they had to help assemble a solar water heating system before they could receive their next clue.

In the Roadblock, one team member had to assemble a life-size 20-foot (6.1 m) long model of a Dilophosaurus. Once the model was properly built, a paleontologist would give them their next clue. If at any point the paleontologist believed that the model was structurally unsafe, the racer would have to start over.

Additional tasks
  • At the end of the Detour, teams were only given a photo of their next location and were left to figure out that it was the Yunnan Province Cultural Center (referred to in the show as the Chinese Minority Heritage Center).

Leg 6 (China → India)

The grounds surrounding the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata was the Pit Stop of this Leg of the Race.

Airdate: March 27, 2011

In this Leg's Roadblock, one team member had to take part in an Indian tea tasting ceremony. First, they had to take a papaya, a mango, and the brick of tea the teams received before leaving Kunming to the tea auctioneer. Then, they had to search among several hundred tea cups for one that held the same papaya-and-mango-infused tea that they tasted in China. Once they got the right tea, the auctioneer would give them their next clue.

The Detour in Kolkata was a choice between Hindu Art and Bengali Literature. In Hindu Art, teams traveled to the Rakhal Paul and Sons statue shop where they had to paint and then dress a statue of the Hindu god Ganesha. Once it was complete, they would receive their next clue. In Bengali Literature, teams traveled to the Dey's Publishing house and picked up eight bundles of the children's book Introduction to the Bengali Alphabet. They then got into a rickshaw school bus and traveled across town to the Victoria Institution High School and College and searched the grounds for the offices of the headmistress of the primary school where they would deliver the books and receive their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • At the Jin Fu Yi Zhan Tea Shop, teams took part in a Chinese tea tasting ceremony where they were given a taste of the papaya-and-mango-infused tea that, unbeknownst to them at the time, would be featured in the upcoming Roadblock in Kolkata. Along with their next clue, they were given a brick of tea leaves that would also be used in the Roadblock.
  • Upon completing the Roadblock, teams were given a bottle of Snapple iced tea and were left to figure out that their next clue was printed on the inside of the lid, directing them to go to the Thakur Bari in Jorasanko and then search for the Tiwari Tea Stall. Upon reaching the Tiwari Tea Stall, teams traded the Snapple bottle for their next clue.

Leg 7 (India)

In the holy city of Varanasi on the shores of the Ganges, teams participated in a Roadblock where they sought out Hindu holy men known as sadhus.

Airdate: April 10, 2011

In this Leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search the streets near the Tonga stand for six different sadhus (as depicted in a series of photographs they were given) who would give out one of six pieces of a phrase described as "the meaning of life": "Once you're over the hill you pick up speed". Once the racer had all six fragments of the phrase, he or she would have to provide the phrase to a seventh sadhu who would give them their next clue.

This Leg's Detour was a choice between Feed the Fire and Feed the Buffalo. In Feed the Fire, teams travelled down the Ganges to Sakka Ghat to the home of a milkman where they had to make 50 traditional fuel patties made from water buffalo manure and then slap them against a wall to allow them to dry. When the supervisor was satisfied with their work (the patties were not too large or too small), teams had to light a stove with dried fuel patties to boil milk for local children before receiving their clue. In Feed the Buffalo, the teams had to cross the Ganges to collect two bales of hay. which were to be delivered to the addresses attached to them. The teams were then required to return over the Ganges to Ksameshwar Ghat, where they had to locate the addresses to which they were to deliver the hay. Upon delivery, they got their next clue.

Leg 8 (India → Austria)

In Vienna, teams delivered books to the Prunksaal, the old central hall of the Austrian National Library.

Airdate: April 17, 2011

In this Leg's Detour, teams chose between Long Hard Walk and Quick and Easy Meal. In Long Hard Walk, teams traveled to the Sigmund Freud Museum (Sigmund Freud's former home) to pick up a psychoanalysis couch, like the ones he used in his sessions, and then deliver it to his former office at the University of Vienna approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) away where they would receive their next clue. In Quick and Easy Meal, teams traveled to the Wiener Riesenrad ferris wheel where they picked up two large servings of the varied forms of traditional Austrian cuisine: Wiener Schnitzel, Sauerkraut, and Sachertorte. They then boarded one of the Riesenrad's dining cars where, while a violinist played some Viennese music, they would have to finish both servings within one 12-minute revolution of the ferris wheel before receiving their next clue. If they could not finish, they would have to start over.

In this Leg's Roadblock, one team member chose a chimney sweep instructor and then put on the traditional chimney sweep uniform. They then went to the roof of the building and used a weight with wire mesh on a rope to clean one of the chimneys three times. Once complete, they went to the basement and opened up one of the chimney cleaning doors that held their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • Upon arriving at Vienna International Airport, teams went into one of the parking garages and chose a Ford Focus. Once inside the car, teams received a message from Phil directing them to put the car in reverse to activate the MyFord Touch's rear view camera system for their next clue. As they backed up, teams would be able to read the name of their next destination spelled out on the pavement behind the car: Schloss Schallaburg.
  • At Schloss Schallaburg, teams were given a large book with a stamp on the front page with the text: "Librarian Prunksaal/Österreichische Nationalbibliothek", directing them to go to the Austrian National Library and find the librarian of the Prunksaal section with whom they would exchange the book for their next clue.

Leg 9 (Austria → Liechtenstein → Switzerland)

For the Roadblock in the Alps, racers traversed the entire country of Liechtenstein on bicycle, ending their trip at Gutenberg Castle.

Airdate: April 24, 2011

For this Leg's Speed Bump, Gary & Mallory had to prepare the right mixture of gasoline and oil to power their VéloSoleX motorized bicycle for the Roadblock. They had to measure 25 parts gasoline to 1 part of oil, and had to figure out that 2 liters (0.53 U.S. gal) of gasoline would fulfill the mixture ratio to be allowed to continue racing.

For the Roadblock, one team member had to use an odometer and a VéloSoleX to measure the entire length of the country of Liechtenstein, riding from Schaanwald to Balzers. At the end, they would meet up with former Winter Olympics alpine ski racer Marco Büchel and give him the distance that they traveled, written on the back of a postcard: 22 km (14 mi). If they were correct, Büchel would direct the racers to Gutenberg Castle where they would meet up with their teammate and read the next clue. If they were incorrect, they would have to travel back to Schaanwald and start over.

The Detour was a choice between Cheese and Wheeze. In Cheese, teams traveled to the Restaurant Walliserkanne Zermatt where they would have to finish an entire pot of cheese fondue. Once the pot was empty, the restaurateur would give them an empty fondue pot with the name of the next location printed on the inside. In Wheeze, teams had to dress up as bellhops and then pick up pieces of luggage from the Zermatt railway station. Then, using a luggage cart, they had to deliver the suitcases to different hotels throughout Zermatt where they would receive receipt tags for each piece of luggage. Once they had a total of 20 receipt tags from at least five different hotels, they could trade them in to the head porter for their next clue.

Leg 10 (Switzerland)

In this Leg, teams traveled to the Matterhorn where they participated in mountain rescue-themed Detour tasks.

Airdate: May 1, 2011

In this Leg's Detour, teams chose between two mountain rescue tasks: Search and Rescue. In Search, teams used a set of avalanche beacons to search the Matterhorn for a dummy buried in the snow; they then had to dig out the whole dummy before they could receive their next clue. In Rescue, teams used a special hoisting device to rescue a mountaineer trapped in a crevasse. One team member had to lower his or her teammate into the crevasse; the lowered teammate then had to attach a carabiner to the mountaineer. The teammate at the top then had to raise the pair back to the surface; once at the top, the rescued mountaineer would give them their next clue.

In this Leg's Roadblock, one team member made a Travelocity Roaming Gnome out of Swiss chocolate. First, the team member had to decorate a chocolate mold with colored chocolate. Once the mold was properly decorated, the team member had the mold filled with chocolate and then buried it in the snow outside for 30 minutes in order to harden the chocolate. They then removed the gnome from the mold and covered up imperfections with more colored chocolate. Once the head chocolatier approved the gnome, teams would receive a real Roaming Gnome and their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • Upon arriving at the Air Rescue Helicopter Port, teams had to sign up for a series of helicopter flights to their next location, each leaving at 5 minute intervals. Before they left on their flight, they would receive their next clue for the Detour before being flown onto the Matterhorn.

Leg 11 (Switzerland → Brazil)

While visiting Rio de Janeiro, the Roadblock had teams learning the samba for a Carnival parade.

Airdate: May 8, 2011

During the Pit Stop, all teams were moved to Zermatt railway station to start the leg. In this Leg's Roadblock, one team member had to participate in a Rio Carnival parade. After putting on special costumes, teams learned the samba and then led a parade of dancers. If the Carnival Princess approved their dance, teams would receive their next clue; if not, they would be sent back to relearn the dance and try again.

The Detour was a choice between On the Rocks and On the Beach. In On the Rocks, teams traveled to the Espacio X bar on Copacabana beach where they learned to make caipirinhas. Once they made 100 proper caipirinhas, they would receive their next clue. In On the Beach, teams had to pick up an umbrella loaded with bikinis and a mobile changing station and sell the bikinis to people on the beach. The buyers then had to change into the bikinis in the mobile changing station. Once teams earned R$100 (approximately US$60), they would receive their next clue.

Additional tasks
  • Upon arriving at the Escadaria Selarón, teams had to search the tile-covered steps for a Route Info tile that would have their next clue on the back.
  • At the salon in Copacabana, teams had to undergo a Brazilian body waxing session for 15 minutes. Once the time was up, the beauticians would give teams their next clue.

Leg 12 (Brazil → United States)

Pigeon Key Historic District, located along the Old Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys, was the finish line of The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business.

Airdate: May 8, 2011

In the first Roadblock of this Leg, one team member had to learn how to operate a heavy load forklift to move a boat into drydock without dropping the boat which would destroy it. Once the boat was successfully moved, teams would receive their next clue. In the second Roadblock, the other team member had to use a BOBdive submersible to search the lagoon of the Jules' Undersea Lodge for one of several floating treasure chests that contained their next clue, while being surrounded by distracting mermaid divers who were swimming around them and playing music.

Additional tasks
  • Upon completing the second Roadblock, teams were given a riddle telling them to go to the Sea Camp near a mile marker on Big Pine Key by "subtract[ing] 4 from 33" (Mile Marker 29).
  • Upon arriving at Mile Marker 29, teams were instructed to walk across a shallow portion of the Gulf of Mexico to Horseshoe Island where they would find their next clue underneath the island's tallest tree. After getting the clue, teams were instructed to walk back to Big Pine Key where they would take a speedboat to the Galway Bay Mobile Home Park in Marathon.
  • At Galway Bay, teams had to set up a travel trailer as it appeared in a brochure for Galway Bay. Once the trailer was set up with a lawn, a pool, plastic flamingoes, and a table setting, among other amenities, teams would receive their final clue from Miss Rose.
  • At the Old Seven Mile Bridge, teams had to ride tricycles along the bridge to Pigeon Key, where the Finish Line was located.[Note 2]

Ratings

US Ratings

# Airdate Episode Rating Share Rating/Share Viewers Rank Rank Rank Rank
Households 18–49 (millions) Timeslot
(Viewers) 		Timeslot
(18–49) 		Week
(Viewers) 		Week
(18–49)
1 February 20, 2011 "Head Down and Hold On" 5.1 8 2.5/7 9.15[15] #2 #1 (tied) #30 (<#25)
2 February 27, 2011 "I Never Looked So Foolish in My Whole Entire Life" 4.3 7 2.1/5 7.68[16] #2 #3 (<#30) (<#25)
3 March 6, 2011 "We Had a Lot of Evil Spirits Apparently" 5.5 9 2.7/7 9.78[17] #2 #2 #22 #23
4 March 13, 2011 "This is the Most Stupid Day Ever" 5.3 9 2.7/8 9.44[18] #2 #2 #21 #17
5 March 20, 2011 "Don't Ruin the Basketball Game" 5.7 9 2.8/8 10.13[19] #1 #1 (tied) #13 #18
6 March 27, 2011 "I Feel Like a Monkey in a Circus Parade" 6.2 10 3.2/9 10.96[20] #1 #1 #12 #14
7 April 10, 2011 "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" 6.0 9 2.9/8 10.48[21] #1 #1 #21 #18
8 April 17, 2011 "I Cannot Deal With Your Psycho Behavior" 5.1 8 2.4/7 8.78[22] #1 #1 #22 (<#25)
9 April 24, 2011 "We're Good American People" 5.3 9 2.6/8 9.37[23] #1 # 1 #17 #15
10 May 1, 2011 "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen" 5.3 8 2.6/7 9.20[24] n/a n/a #20 #18
11 May 8, 2011 "This is Where It Ends" 5.0 8 2.5/7 8.97[25] #2 #1 (<#25) #24
  • Episode 2, "I Have Never Looked So Foolish In My Whole Entire Life", aired the same night as the 83rd Academy Awards.
  • Episode 9, "We're Good American People", aired on Easter Sunday.
  • Episode 10, "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen", was delayed for one hour in most west coast CBS stations due to the breaking news coverage of the death of Osama bin Laden. (In four Pacific markets that air primetime from 7-10pm – Sacramento, Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma – the ending was not seen.)
  • Episode 11, "This is Where It Ends", the two-hour season finale, aired on Mother's Day. It was the lowest-rated season finale in the show's history until the season 26 finale.

Canadian Ratings

Canadian broadcaster CTV also airs The Amazing Race on Sundays at 8 pm, with only two exceptions: Episode two aired an hour earlier than its normal start time due to CTV's broadcast of the 83rd Academy Awards. Episode six aired an hour earlier due to the said network's broadcast of the 2011 Juno Awards.

# Airdate Episode Viewers
(millions) 		Rank
(Week)
1 February 20, 2011 "Head Down and Hold On" 2.664 #4[26]
2 February 27, 2011 "I Never Looked So Foolish in My Whole Entire Life" 1.621 #20[27]
3 March 6, 2011 "We Had a Lot of Evil Spirits Apparently" 2.786 #1[28]
4 March 13, 2011 "This is the Most Stupid Day Ever" 2.533 #3[29]
5 March 20, 2011 "Don't Ruin the Basketball Game" 2.441 #3[30]
6 March 27, 2011 "I Feel Like a Monkey in a Circus Parade" 1.809 #12[31]
7 April 10, 2011 "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" 2.436 #5[32]
8 April 17, 2011 "I Cannot Deal With Your Psycho Behavior" 2.569 #1[33]
9 April 24, 2011 "We're Good American People" 2.326 #5[34]
10 May 1, 2011 "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen" 2.742 #3[35]
11 May 8, 2011 "This is Where It Ends" 2.700 #2[36]

Notes

  1. ^ In season 12, Kent went by the name "Kynt".
  1. ^ Due to a medical emergency on the first flight involving another passenger, the eight teams on that flight were delayed in Honolulu, allowing the three teams on the second flight to arrive in Sydney first.
  2. ^ Although it was implied that the teams had to ride the entire length of the bridge, the actual distance covered was closer to two miles due to the location of Pigeon Key along the bridge route.

References

  1. ^ CBS.com. "Application form" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 14, 2010. Retrieved January 21, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Hibberd, James (Hollywood Reporter) (November 3, 2010). ""Amazing Race" finally getting HD upgrade". Reuters. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  3. ^ "Amazing Race Getting HD Upgrade". Hollywood Reporter. November 2, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d Levin, Gary (January 19, 2011). "11 'Amazing Race' teams return to finish what they started". USA Today. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  5. ^ Nicastri, Danielle (November 22, 2010). "They're here: Manly hosts Amazing Race reality show". Manly Daily. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  6. ^ "TV show races through". Barrier Daily Truth. November 23, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  7. ^ Martin, Lara (January 19, 2011). "Amazing Race' all-stars cast revealed". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  8. ^ a b J. Lang, Derrik (February 16, 2011). "'Amazing Race' in Switzerland, India in High-Def". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b c "Amazing Race" to settle "unfinished business". CBS News. February 18, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  10. ^ Eng, Joyce (February 18, 2011). "Amazing Race: Phil Keoghan Explains Why These 11 Teams Have Unfinished Business". TV Guide. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  11. ^ RealityTVWorld.com. "RealityTVWorld.com interview with Mel White". Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  12. ^ "Amazing Race Recap: Don't Ruin the Basketball Game". CBS. Archived from the original on June 2, 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "CBS TV Schedule". CBS. Archived from the original on February 8, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Pennington, Gail (February 24, 2011). "'The Amazing Race' 18 goes high and wide". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ Seidman, Robert (February 23, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Amazing Race' Adjusted Up; 'The Simpsons' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 1, 2011.
  16. ^ Gorman, Bill (March 1, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Academy Awards' Adjusted Up, Plus Ratings For 'Oscar's Red Carpet'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 1, 2011.
  17. ^ Seidman, Robert (March 8, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Secret Millionare,' 'Celebrity Apprentice' Adjusted up ; 'Brothers & Sisters,' 'Bob's Burgers,' 'Cleveland Show' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  18. ^ Gorman, Bill (March 15, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Secret Millionaire,' 'Amazing Race,' 'Undercover Boss,' 'Celebrity Apprentice' Adjusted Up; 'Cleveland Show' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  19. ^ Seidman, Robert (March 22, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Secret Millionaire' Adjusted Up; 'Family Guy,' 'Cleveland' Adjusted Down + CBS". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  20. ^ "DRAMA, REALITY, COMEDY, "60 MINUTES" AND COLLEGE HOOPS LEAD CBS TO WEEKLY WIN". CBS Press Express. March 29, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  21. ^ "NCAA AND "NCIS" LEAD CBS TO SECOND CONSECUTIVE WEEKLY WIN IN VIEWERS AND KEY DEMOGRAPHICS". CBS Press Express. April 12, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
  22. ^ "CBS WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT WEEK IN VIEWERS". CBS Press Express. April 19, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  23. ^ "CBS NOTCHES FIFTH CONSECUTIVE WIN IN VIEWERS WITH A HOLIDAY WEEK OF MOSTLY REBROADCASTS". CBS Press Express. April 26, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  24. ^ "THE MENTALIST IS THE WEEK'S # 1 SCRIPTED PROGRAM". CBS Press Express. May 3, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
  25. ^ "CBS WINS THE WEEK IN VIEWERS LED BY NCIS AND THE GOOD WIFE". May 10, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  26. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): February 14 – 20, 2011" (PDF). BBM Canada. February 25, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  27. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): February 21 – 27, 2011" (PDF). BBM Canada. March 4, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  28. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): February 28 – March 6, 2011" (PDF). BBM Canada. March 11, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  29. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): March 7 – 13, 2011" (PDF). BBM Canada. March 18, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  30. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): March 14 – 20, 2011" (PDF). BBM Canada. March 25, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  31. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): March 21 – 27, 2011" (PDF). BBM Canada. April 1, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  32. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): April 4 – 10, 2011" (PDF). BBM Canada. April 15, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  33. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): April 11 – 17, 2011" (PDF). BBM Canada. April 22, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  34. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): April 18 – 24, 2011" (PDF). BBM Canada. April 29, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  35. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): April 25 – May 1, 2011" (PDF). BBM Canada. May 6, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  36. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): May 2 – 8, 2011" (PDF). BBM Canada. May 13, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
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