The Amazing Race 25 Silver Anniversay: Leg 1 - The Save

[Fuskie]

ON YOUR MARK! 

 

We are back in New York City where The Amazing Race started 25 seasons ago.  The teams arrive in Times Square in cabs. Adam and Bethany (Surfers). Amy & Maya (Foodies). Dennis & Isabelle (Dating). Brooke & Robbie (Wrestlers). Keith & Whitney (Survivors). Kym & Alli (Bikers). Lisa & Michelle (Sisters). Michael & Scott (Firefighters). Tim & Te Jay (Sweethearts). Shelley & Nici (Flights). Misti & Jim (Dentists).

 

GET SET! Welcome to Times Square. This iconic intersection is known as the crossroads of the world. Tonight we celebrate 25 seasons, our silver

anniversary, right where we started. A whole bunch of fans have turned up to send you off, including ex-Amazing Racers.  We are amping things up this season. Team #1 at the end of the first leg will win the most powerful TAR prize ever, The Save!

 

If you have the Save and are facing elimination, just hand over the save and keep racing! The save can be used up to the 9th leg. Is everyone ready for The Amazing Race?  The world is waiting for you. Good luck, travel safe, and GO!

 

Teams run up a long flight of red steps to grab their bags and receive their first clue: Begin the 25th season where the first season ended. Teams run down to the veteran racers to ask where the first one ended. The Globe at Flushing Meadows Park. They race to grab taxis.

 

Surfers first to the Meadows to get their next clue: Fly to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. They head to JFK. There are only seats for 5 teams on the first flight. 40m jump between flights. At JFK, they look for special check-in desk. Sweethearts 2nd team to arrive and go straight to ticket counter, pushing Surfers back to 2nd. Dating arrives 3rd. Surfers realize they are in wrong line. Dating is 2nd on 1st flight, followed by Surfers. Bikers 4th. Survivors 5th to airport but are beat by Dentists to ticket counter and first flight.

 

Survivors 1st on Flight #2. First flight takes off. Dennis says you can't miss the Dentists when they smile. Flight #2 with Foodies, Flights, Survivors, Realtors, Firefighters, and Wrestlers take off. Upon landing, teams must head to Vendor's Plaza ans sign up for a seaplane flight.

 

First flight lands and teams jump into cabs. One cabbie says she has the winning team! Dentists first to the Plaza where the planes are but teams can't find the sign-up location. Surfers sign up first (Dirks Team they call themselves). Sweethearts are 2nd, Bikers on the 2nd flight with Dentists, Dating are 5th and get the 3rd flight to themselves.

 

Seaplane 1 takes off They fly low for a good view of the island. 2nd flight takes off. 2nd flight from USA arrives and teams race for taxis. Seaplane 3 takes off. 2nd group of teams arrives at Vendors Plaza. Survivors first to sign up for plane #4, followed by Flights. Foodies sign up for #5 and there's a fight for control of the pen to be the second team on the flight. Realtors win after stealing the pen from Firefighters who are on the 6th flight with Wrestlers.

 

Wrestlers and Firefighters whine about the aggressive play of the Realtors. First seaplane arrives and Sweethearts are the first off, running past Phil who is taping the introduction to the first challenge: Teams must scale the length and to the top of a rocky outcrop in the ocean, then leap 2 stories into the Caribbean Sea to find their next clue floating in the ocean. Sweethearts on first boat to the rock island. They jump into the water followed by Surfers and climb the rope net to the top of the rocks.

 

Using ropes and harnesses for safety, Sweethearts navigate the rocks while Surfers climb the rope net. Bethany leads Adam on who can barely keep up. 2nd seaplane arrives with Bikers and Dentists. Sweethearts make the ‪#‎LeapOfFaith‬ and receive their clue, a message in a bottle. Surfers are right behind them. The bottle holds a drawing of a pirate ship: Teams must head to Blackbeard's Revenge in their boats.

 

Seaplane #4 takes off. Sweethearts arrive at Blackbeard's revenge and are lifted on board by Blackbeard's mates. No time for Parlay, Blackbeard says, handing them a clue: Don't Rock The Boat. Teams must take a dory ashore to find their next clue. Now get off me ship, Blackbeard says, firing his miniature cannon and scaring the boys. There's a yellow rope for them to pull the dory along to get to shore. Surfers arrive at the ship.

 

Sweethearts get their clue seconds before Surfing. Roadblock. In Worth Its Weight In Gold, teams must navigate the beach using a traditional liquid compass where the direction pointing back to the user is the direction they're looking ahead. Starting at one of 4 designated landmarks, teams must navigate using a shovel with a 1' handle and their own unique set of coordinates to locate a buried treasure chest with their next clue. Adam goes for Surfers, Jay for Sweethearts. Jay starts digging at the Ship's Bell, misreading the clue. Adam pulls out his compass and the shovel to measure distance.

 

Bikers are climbing across the rocks, followed by the Dentists. Both teams make the leap of faith and receive their message in the bottle. The 5th seaplane takes off with Foodies and Realtors. Jay realizes he's being stupid and pulls out the compass. Adam understands how his compass works. Bikers get past Blackbeard and hit the Roadblock, starting from the anchor but she mistakes the bell for her starting point. Adam is digging. Dentists pull onto the beach and Jim does the Roadblock.

 

Adam and Tim (Not Jay) are digging. Jim reads his compass looking forward. Jim compares his compass with his watch and realizes he's backwards. He explains it to Adam that they were both wrong. Dating makes the leap of faith; Dennis hasn't eaten so he can't through up from the nerves. Isabelle lands butt-first in the water and it stings. Seaplane #6 takes off. Tim is struggling. and Jim explains he's been going backwards too. Jim finds his treasure chest and opens it to retrieve a golden clue to the first pit stop: Fort Christian.

 

Dentists jump in their boat and head to the fort. Survivors make their leap of faith. They have already rescheduled their wedding to be on the race, so they'll do what they have to do to win. Dentists get back to land and grabs a taxi. Dating gets past Blackbeard and heads to the beach. Adam tells Bethany he's been digging deep and getting roots. The cannon goes off for the Realtors and Jay is scared again. Dennis and Keith do the RB for their teams. Foodies arrive and Shelley is digging. Firefighters navigate the rock island, familiar with stress and pressure. But Wrestlers make the Leap of Faith first.

 

Dentists arrive at Fort Christian and Philiminator asks the costumed greeter, have you ever seen teeth like this in your life? No, she says. A winning smile, Philiminator says, you are the winning team! You win the most powerful prize ever given away on The Amazing Race, the Save! Back on the beach, Tim thinks his compass is broken. All the teams are frustrated. Dennis wishes he had worn shoes. Foodies walk Blackbeard's plank and head to the beach, Realtors right behind. Firefighters pass by Wrestlers whose dory begins to take on water on the way to the beach, their hopes and race literally sinking.

 

Brooke starts to lose it as Robbie tries to get her to calm down and focus. They are in shallow surf and drag their dory behind them to the beach. All remaining teams are at the Roadblock. Shelly offers to show Robbie how to work the compass. The girls announce they've voted for Adam to take his life vest off. Bethany isn't having any of that. Bikers think the sun sets in the east and rises in the west. Tim finds his chest finally and drags it back to Jay screaming. They head to the pit stop. Dennis has blisters. Survivors realize the compass is backwards. Wrestlers find their treasure chest, leaving the Foodies behind.

 

Bikers find their treasure. Surfers complete the Roadblock. Shelley is worn out and just pawing at the sand. Sweethearts arrive at the Pit Stop in 2nd place. With the sun low on the horizon, Dennis realizes he's been going the wrong way. Foodies complete the RB. Dating completes the RB. Flights are excited as Shelley wasn't digging up a rock but her treasure chest. Firefighters, Survivors and Realtors are still struggling with the Roadblock. The latter are more familiar with GPS than a compass. Bikers arrive at the Road Block Team #3, and Wrestlers Team #4.

 

Adam hauls the entire treasure chest to the mat as Surfers are Team #5. The light is fading on the beach but Firefighters aren't giving up. Whitney begs Keith to not give up. Foodies arrive at the Pit Stop in 6th place. The reaming teams are exhausted, using their hands to dig in the sand. Whitney tells Keith she can't help him, he has to figure it out himself. Dating and Flights arrive at the Pit Stop in 7th and 8th place.

 

The final 3 teams are now working by headlamp with a full moon overhead. Lisa thinks it's not there. Keith's hands are numb. They've been going at it for 3hrs 42m. Lisa is digging 3 feet away from the actual location. Firefighters are 6' away from their treasure. Keith suggests a penalty but Lisa says it's 4hrs. He's digging 9' from his chest. They decide to take the 4hr penalty. They try to convince the other teams to also take the penalty and race for the Pit Stop.

 

They all agree, hands in, and the race begins. Teams return to the mainland and race for cabs. The Firefighters push the Realtors out of one cab and they have to find another. Survivors first out, followed by Firefighters and Realtors. Survivors cab appears to run a stop sign as they pull into the location, followed by Firefighters. Realtors are right behind. It's a foot race between Survivors and Firefighters and though Scott is first to the mat, both Keith and Whitney step on it before Micky can make it. The Realtors walk up last, out of breath.

 

Lisa and Michelle, says Philiminator, I am sorry to tell you that you're the last team to arrive and you have been eliminated from the race. No one expected this, did they, Phil asks. Nope, they say. They say they came in being friends, not mean and the Firefighters pushed her out of the cab. You have to be ruthless and that's what we do in business, it's what we should have done here. Afterwards, they say they never thought there was a chance they would lose the penalty race to the Pit Stop. It's an embarrassment, they're not used to losing.

 

For the record, Survivors were Team #9 and Firefighters Team #10. Next week, teams go punting while Scott flips out, and in a race to the finish, emotions run high. Don't forget to follow our Utopia coverage on the Morty's TV Fan Forums and we'll start a new week of Reality TV on Monday. Have a great weekend!

 

What did you think of the first leg of The Amazing Race?

 

The poll closes at the start of the next leg of The Amazing Race!