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scorch99
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Joined: 09 Oct 2003
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 Posted: 05/11/06 - 09:02 Post subject: The Amazing Race 9, Episode 11: Go Monkey! Choose Monkey!
It's on like Donkey Kong.
The Amazing Race 9, Episode 11: Go Monkey! Choose Monkey!
by Jenn Brasler -- 05/11/2006
We’re down to the final four teams, and before the race can continue, first they have to either feed monkeys or feed themselves. Monkeys are cute, but they won’t get you to the pit stop as fast as crickets and grasshoppers will. What will the penniless, clothes-less hippies (right) do?
Previously on My Karma Ran Over My Dogma: Four teams hung out in Perth, some hatching schemes (Tyler & BJ) and some canceling cabs (Eric & Jeremy). The other teams blamed Mojo for the cancellations. Jeremy & Eric got kicked in the pants by karma and fell behind. The hippies yielded Mojo, who were less than thrilled. There was skydiving and whining, then trekking down a river, which took longer than anticipating. Ray & Yolanda played didgeridoos and came in first. The other three teams raced to the mat, and though the hippies came in last, it was a non-elimination leg. There are still four teams left:
Ray & Yolanda - Dating/Sentimental favorites/Yay, they won a leg!
Eric & Jeremy - Friends/Interestingly, not as bad as Mojo right now
Monica & Joseph (Mojo) - Dating/Shut up, Monica, some more
BJ & Tyler - Friends/Sentimental favorites/BJ has no shoes
We’re in the Australian Outback, which is… very green. Can Yolanda & Ray keep being successful? Will Mojo and the hippies screw each other up? Ray & Yolanda are first to leave at 1:13 a.m. Their clue tells them to fly 7,000 miles to Bangkok, Thailand. There, they’ll take a taxi to a bus terminal and take a bus another 97 miles to the Three Spire Pagoda. This is a Buddhist temple where monkeys now live. Yeah, you heard me. Yolanda & Ray make a brief stop to put a pair of Yolanda’s pants on the hippies’ car for BJ. Ha! That’s awesome. Ray interviews that it’s game time and someone has to go home. Yolanda says they have to bring together their physical and mental skills.
Eric & Jeremy read that three teams have money while the other has no money and no pants. Heh. They think the other teams are more worried about them than they are about the other teams. Mojo leave, laughing about the hippies’ lack of money. They’re totally still bitter about that yield. Joseph says there’s tension between the two teams (really? I hadn’t noticed), and since it’s personal, they want to beat them badly. Monica says there’s no way they’ll help the hippies; the hippies are playing mind games because they think Mojo are a threat.
BJ & Tyler leave last, BJ sans pants and shoes. Interestingly, they’re only nine minutes behind Ray & Yolanda. The hippies visit a lost and found (smart), then get Yolanda’s pants. BJ notes that he probably wouldn’t have been able to board a plane without shoes, so it’s good that he got some sandals from the frat boys. Tyler interviews that the lack of money powers them up and proves that they can keep bouncing back. BJ notes that Mojo didn’t leave anything because they’re “not giving people.” He thinks they have a “date” to be out of the race. “We’ve had that date before, but it stood us up,” says Tyler. Hee.
Yolanda & Ray are first to the airport and get to work booking a flight. There’s one via Sydney that gets in at 11 p.m. They get tickets. Mojo are next, telling a ticket agent that ten minutes could be a huge deal. The frats and hippies are next and Jeremy makes fun of BJ’s girly clothes. The hippies totally ignore him. They can’t get anywhere without money, so they start begging. Ray is amused by BJ’s outfit. Mojo get the same flight as Ray & Yolanda, then tell the frats that the agent isn’t helpful; he’s just looking at porn. I hope that agent was really offended and yelled at them. Monica criticizes the frats for giving BJ sandals, which allowed him to get into the airport. Eric tells her they had nothing to do with it.
Eric & Jeremy get the same flight as the others. The hippies head to downtown Darwin, which is a hopping place in the middle of the night. They quickly start collecting donations. One woman chants for BJ to take his shirt off for money; he does, and she chants, “Put it on, put it on.” Ha! Satisfied, the hippies head to the airport and learn from Eric & Jeremy that everyone is on the same flight. Unfortunately for them, it’s booked. As Ray & Yolanda, Mojo, and the frats fly to Bangkok, BJ & Tyler search for another flight, noting that this time, the nice guys might finish last.
After some more phone calls, Tyler learns that there’s another flight to Bangkok with seats that just became available – and it gets in at 10:45. Tyler gets an “Aussie high five” from a ticket agent. On the plane, they note that they’ve gotten this far with no clothes. Phil reminds us of what teams have to do when they land in Bangkok. I can’t wait for the monkeys, you guys. If Buffy has taught us anything, it’s that monkeys equal comedy gold. The other three teams land and head to the bus terminal. Well, the frats and Yolanda & Ray do, but Mojo are fighting. Joseph thinks their cab driver is going to rip them off. I kind of want him to.
The frats get to the terminal and get on a bus that leaves at midnight. Yolanda & Ray get there in time as well. The frats aren’t happy but hope they at least leave before Mojo arrive. They’re in luck - the ticket counter has closed by the time Mojo arrive, and it won’t reopen until 4:50. They decide to get a hotel room. The frats and Yolanda & Ray are happy.
Tyler & BJ land after midnight, so they didn’t wind up with as much luck as they’d thought. They’ll be waiting until the morning, too. In the middle of the night, Mojo take a cab to the terminal, where the hippies have spent the night. The hippies manage to get on a 4:20 bus, so good for them. Mojo can’t get anything earlier than a 5:20 bus, and Monica is worried that they’re the only team on the bus. Joseph hopes they’re on the right one.
The first bus arrives and Ray & Yolanda and the frats get cabs to the Three Spire Pagoda. Yolanda & Ray get there first, but it doesn’t open until 8 a.m., and it’s 5:45 now, so they figure there will be some equalizing. Eric & Jeremy arrive next and they all hang out for the night. In the morning, the monkeys yawn. Awwww. Jeremy thinks the monkeys have it nice because they don’t have to work; if he and Eric win the million dollars, they’ll be monkeys. The two teams look at all the animals, which Ray calls “five-foot-long rats.” Jeremy & Eric let some climb on them, though Jeremy wants to get away before they start attacking.
The hippies arrive and curse the frats for getting in so early. It’s 8 a.m., so the first three teams get to go on in. When they get their clues, they receive two other things: an envelope marked “Travelocity” that they can’t open until they get to the pit stop, and a fast forward. This fast forward involves taking a cab to a restaurant and taking part in a “common after-school activity.” Aww, cute kids! The teams don’t realize that this activity is… eating grasshoppers and crickets. Aww, not so cute! Ray & Yolanda and the hippies decide to try the fast forward. Eric & Jeremy forego it and get to do the roadblock instead. One team member will have to prepare a feast for the monkeys as part of an annual festival. (Thank you to the wonderful reader who gave me info about this!)
Eric is doing this task, and ironically, he’s wearing a shirt with a picture of a tux on it. Jeremy calls him “Chef Boy-ar-Eric.” The hippies reach the fast forward as Yolanda & Ray wonder what it will be. “Football? Cricket?” Yolanda asks. The Irony Fairy laughs until she cries. When Ray & Yolanda arrive, Yolanda hugs BJ (aww) and Tyler tries to convince them not to do this. Yolanda assures him she’s tough. The teams dig in but Yolanda isn’t sure she can eat a whole bowl. Ray thinks they have time to go back and do the roadblock before Mojo show up. They ultimately decide to go back, wishing the hippies luck. Yolanda thinks BJ will have a hard time.
Mojo reach the roadblock and Mojo tells Joseph, “Go ahead, you do it.” He’s not that grateful. Monica isn’t happy to learn that the frats’ bus was so much earlier than theirs. Eric doesn’t think the food looks too appetizing. Joseph is “Iron Chef-ing this up.” Heh. Yolanda & Ray return and Yolanda takes the roadblock. Everyone is upset that the hippies are doing the fast forward, but Ray thinks it’ll take them at least three hours to finish. A monkey snags some of Yolanda’s food and she tries to shoo him away.
At the fast forward, Tyler calls one of his crickets Jiminy, then dances around, thinking it will help. “You know what I feel like doing?” BJ asks. “Throwing up.” Then he calls out, “I thought I ordered pad thai!” Mmm, pad thai. Back at the roadblock, the preparations continue. There’s a lot of arranging that goes into this feast. Some monkeys attack Eric’s table and he yells at them. Joseph is frustrated that monkeys keep taking his food. The roadblock-ers have attracted an amused audience. Eric finishes first and the monkeys attack his feast. He’s actually kind of endearing when he tells them to eat up. He and Jeremy are a lot more palatable when they’re not talking about sex every five seconds.
The frats get their next clue, which sends them 90 miles away to a river, where they’ll take a ferry to Koh Kret Island. There, they’ll search a meditation garden for the next clue. In the cab, the guys discuss the bug-eating fast forward and think they’re in good shape. At the fast forward, the hippies are less than appetized by the cold crickets. At the roadblock, Yolanda says that you can’t rush an artist, which is why she’s taking so long. Joseph finishes and the monkeys attack. I wanna feed the monkeys! Yolanda finishes next and Ray is happy that they’ve made up a lot of ground. He calls the place “monkey heaven.” Yeah, for them, it is - they lie around all day and people give them food. Works for me. Ray still thinks the hippies are having trouble. Yep, the hippies think they’re in a Turkish prison. They think they’ve made a big mistake. No, no, it’s, “I’ve made a huge mistake.” Don’t you people watch Arrested Development? Wait… no one does. That’s why it’s gone forever. (Sniff!)
The hippies suck it up and keep eating. The frats get to the ferries and head to the island. They take a moment to note how unique the experience is. They search the grounds of the garden and quickly find a detour. The choices are Move It and Altar It. In Move It, teams go to a pottery factory and transport 72 pots on wooden boards to a boat dock. In Altar It, teams make a shrine to Buddha, which involves gold-leafing a statue of Buddha. I would definitely do that - I’m so uncoordinated, I can fall over when I’m sitting down. The frats point out that since they didn’t do well on last week’s physical task, Altar It is the way to go.
Mojo get to the ferries and are the next to head to the island. Yolanda & Ray are right after them. Mojo reach a spot where they’ll have to light incense and take off their shoes, but Monica isn’t sure they’re at the right place. Yolanda & Ray are, though, and they choose Altar It because they think it’ll be faster. Mojo finally get to the right place and choose Altar It because they remember seeing it while they were wandering around. BJ is done with his insects and is giving Tyler some encouragement. He’s finally done, so they get to head straight to the pit stop, the Marble Temple. The last team to check in “may” be eliminated. The guys can’t believe they ate so many insects.
Jeremy & Eric seem a little overwhelmed at how much work will go into putting the altar together. Then they get a look at one and think it’s simpler than they thought. Yolanda & Ray start in as well. When Mojo arrive, they decide to try Move It instead. Yolanda hopes that the other task is so frustrating that they won’t be able to finish it. You and me both, Yolanda.
So here go Mojo, loading up some wooden planks. It’s not clear how heavy they are, but Monica seems to be carrying them well. They break some and ask someone to help them out. She says it’s too far for her to go. Mojo are definitely not having a good time. The hippies, however, are, since they’ve gone from last place to first place. They skip to the mat and get the good news from Phil. They present him their Travelocity envelope and he tells them that if there’s a golden gnome inside, they’ll get a nice prize. Their gnome is regular, but they’re still the first team to get to the final three. Tyler says they’re having a great time.
Mojo are still having a hard time. They’ve transported 46 of their 72 pots. At the detour, Yolanda asks the frats why they picked this task. The guys joke that they gold-leaf a lot in their spare time and even have gold-leafing parties. Martha Stewart would be so proud. Yolanda says Ray is doing well because he’s so methodical. He says he loves structure and is a hustler. She brushes that off. The teams are pretty close, but Eric & Jeremy hear that they have to smooth their leafs down a little. They do so and get the clue, which tells them to go to the pit stop. This requires taking a taxi 11 miles through some busy streets. The guys get a ferry and head back to dry land.
Yolanda & Ray run into the same smoothing issue and Ray hopes that Move It is taking Mojo a long time. It is - Monica breaks more pots. Joseph yells at her to stop apologizing and keep moving. She breaks more, still apologizing. Now she’s crying and saying they won’t have enough pots. Why must you tease me like this?
Mojo now have 65 of their 72 pots. Monica keeps saying that she let them team down but Joseph tells her she didn’t. The frats search for a cab. Ooh, karma remnants. Yolanda & Ray finish up, noting that they’re not too far behind the frats. Joseph has decided that he should carry all of the remaining pots, which pays off, as he and Monica are now done. Joseph tells her they’re still in this.
The frats finally get a cab. Yolanda & Ray’s ferry arrives and they quickly get a taxi. They know that if they don’t hurry, they could be last, since they don’t know how Mojo did. Mojo also get a cab. Monica is embarrassed and says that Move It was the hardest thing she’s ever done. Joseph says they did their best. The frats are getting frustrated and want their cab to speed up. Yolanda & Ray also want their driver to go fast, but they’re calmer. The frats’ driver is faster and they’re at the mat in second place, which makes them happy. No golden gnome for them either, but they’re also in the final three.
It’s a Yolanda & Ray/Mojo race to the pit stop. Yolanda & Ray get waylaid because she’s not wearing sleeves, but even with the brief pause to cover her arms, they still make it to the mat in third place. Yay! Phil gives their gnome a weird look - and it’s the golden one. They get to cruise around Sydney Harbor on a yacht, visit the Hunter Valley wine district, and explore the Great Barrier Reef. Plus, tonight they get to stay in a nice hotel and use the Internet to research their trip. Awesome. Oh, and as if that all weren’t enough, they’re in the final three. Ray says he always thought they’d make it to the finals. Yolanda interviews that Ray is her main source of motivation and the one person she relies on.
Here come Mojo, who are walking and seem to know they’re last. They are, of course, and they’re eliminated. You guys. No more whining. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong about picking the winning team. Joseph says they had a good time. Monica is crying and raving about how great the experience has been and how much they accomplished. She’s happy that Joseph has supported her; she wouldn’t have gotten through without him. Joseph is proud of Monica and glad she helped him stay composed and keep going. Monica says the race has changed their relationship for the best. Joseph says they’ll get married and have a family, and Monica adds that they’ll be able to look back on the race for the rest of their lives.
And now, the obligatory comments from the final three teams about winning it all and all that stuff. It’s pretty much everything you’ve ever heard before. BJ channels Chip from season 5 by saying, “It is on like Donkey Kong.” Go, Ray & Yolanda!
Next week, on the two-hour season finale: A roller coaster, it looks like. The Far East, then “frigid North America.” Language barriers. Full flights. Directional mishaps. Running. And, of course, one team gets a million dollars. Oh, it’s definitely on like Donkey Kong.
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