It’s been a while since I’ve done a recap of any Amazing Race episode. I’ve been too ambitious with trying to recap everything so I’m going to do a reformat and not transcribe everything that went on in the episode.
The new season of The Amazing Race Asia has already started on AXN-Asia and I’ve seen the premiere. I’m glad to have the show back since it was not on last year due to issues with the Avian Flu. But it’s back with a vengeance this year so I’m going to do my best to recap this series and of course, The Amazing Race 17 which begins on Sunday.
So let’s look at this episode.
First, you have to look at the teams. There are ten teams this year, all of whom have pre-existing relationships. The teams are:
Dimple & Sunaina – Actresses & Travel Buddies from India
Manas & Sahil – Cousins from India
Hussein & Natasha – Father & Daughter from Indonesia
Yani & Nadine – Best Friends from Indonesia
Ivan & Hilda – Husband & Wife from Malaysia
Ethan & Khairie – Friends from Malaysia
Jess & Lani – Party Girls from The Philippines
Richard & Richard – Best Friends from The Philippines
Claire & Michelle – Rebel Pals from Singapore
Alan & Wendy – Dating Couple from Hong Kong
As in the past seasons, many of the teams are either actors, TV personalities or aspiring models. But I’m done complaining about this. That’s the dynamic of The Amazing Race Asia so we continue.
The start of the race was in Kuala Lampur in Malaysia at the Thean Hou Temple.
After the obligatory introduction, host Allan Wu sends the teams off and they have to drive themselves through heavy KL traffic to the Batu Caves where they encounter the first Road Block. A Road Block is a task that only one person may perform.
There, teams have to take an offering of food including bananas and fight off monkeys, go up 272 stairs and tell the priest the exact number to get their next clue. If they fail, they must go back to the bottom and start again.
1. Ethan & Khairie
2. Michelle & Claire
3. Richard & Richard
4. Hussein & Natasha
5. Wendy & Alan
6. Manas & Sahil
7. Sunaina & Dimple
8. Ivan & Hilda
9. Jess & Lani
10. Yani & Nadine
Once teams are finished here, they have to go to a location that was a pit stop on the American version of the Amazing Race in Season 16 and that was Pinang Peranakan Mansion in Penang, a drive of four hours to get their next clue. Once there, they have to figure out “Baldwin” is a piano and sing their next clue.
1. Ethan & Khairie
2. Richard & Richard
3. Sunaina & Dimple
4. Michelle & Claire
5. Wendy & Alan
6. Jess & Lani
7. Yani & Nadine
8. Hussein & Natasha
9. Manas & Sahil
10. Ivan & Hilda
Once they sing their clue in the tune of “Amazing Grace”, teams will drive to the Futsal Field where teams must play goalkeeper in the form of indoor soccer. For every shot they fail to block, they will incur a 2 minute penalty.
1. Ethan & Khairie
2. Sunaina & Dimple
3. Richard & Richard
4. Michelle & Claire
5. Wendy & Alan
6. Ivan & Hilda
7. Hussein & Natasha
8. Manas & Sahil
9. Yani & Nadine
10. Jess & Lani
When the teams are done at Futsal Field, they’re to drive to Swettenham Pier where teams will encounter their first Detour. A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. In this Detour, teams will decide between Flags and Rags. In Flags, teams must collect five flags on board a cruise via clues using ship lingo. In Rags, teams must go to Deck 10 of the cruise ship. One teammate will be lowered to the outside of Deck 5. The other team member must find the other teammate and then snap a picture through the inside of a room window.
1. Ethan & Khairie
2. Richard & Richard
3. Michelle & Claire
4. Sunaina & Dimple
5. Wendy & Alan
6. Ivan & Hilda
7. Manas & Sahil
8. Jess & Lani
9. Hussein & Natasha
10. Yani & Nadine
Upon completion of the Detour, teams discover their next destination is Deck 12 of the Star Pisces cruise ship and the pit stop for this leg of the race. The last team to arrive, may be eliminated.
1. Ethan & Khairie – winners of a Sony Bravia 46″ HDTV & Sony Playstation 3 game console.
2. Richard & Richard
3. Michelle & Claire
4. Sunaina & Dimple
5. Wendy & Alan
6. Ivan & Hilda
7. Manas & Sahil
8. Jess & Lani
9. Hussein & Natasha
10. Yani & Nadine – saved by pre-determined non-elimination leg
Some observations here. Ethan & Khairie were definitely helped in this leg as they are from Malaysia and had a home field advantage. They left first, they got to the Road Block first and never looked back.
Yani & Nadine had bad luck throughout as their car spit the bit on the way to the Batu Caves, but they arrived at the cruise ship before Hussein & Natasha who inexplicably went on a ferry and had to turn back to the cruise ship, yet still finished in 9th ahead of Yani & Nadine. The girls from Indonesia must finish first in the next leg otherwise incur a 30 minute time penalty. That could mean the difference between winning or elimination.
Overall a good episode. Don’t know much about the teams yet, but it’s early. Don’t have a favorite as of yet. We’ll see whom I like as we go along. I hope to have another recap for you next weekend.
