The Amazing Race Season 35 Premiere Recap: A Day at the Spa Turns Into a Day From Hell — Who Was Sent Packing?
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Another million-dollar prize is up for grabs as The Amazing Race kickstarts its 35th race around the globe. For the first time ever, 13 teams will compete, as the Express Pass returns to the fold alongside a mandatory U-Turn, both of which will surely up the ante as the duos hustle and bustle their way to Phil’s mat each week.
Need a rundown of who’s competing this time? Click here for a full cast refresher, then let’s break down the Leg 1 highlights from the top.
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Starting out from the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, host Phil Keoghan tells the teams that once again, there will be zero non-elimination legs, so that safety net from the past is (still) GONE. Charter flights are also out. The teams will be kicking it old school and flying commercially for the first time since the COVID shutdown. With that, he tells the teams to GO! They race to cars and find their first clue on the windshield, telling them to get to the Millennium Biltmore hotel… and fast!
ROAD BLOCK | In “Who Wants to Be Above It All?” one player must traverse two rooftops on a thin tightrope, then unscramble letters to figure out their next destination. Once they do, they’ll receive their next clue from last season’s winners Derek and Claire, before racing off to the airport. The first six teams will be booked on the first flight, which will give them a sizable 90-minute head start.
Greg and John, Joe and Ian, and Malaina and Andrea are the first three teams to arrive and step up to the plate. Joe and Greg reach the other side first, while Andrea finishes the traverse shortly after. While nine of the other teams arrive at the tightropes, there’s always one that’s absurdly lost, right? This time, it’s Elizabeth and Iliana, who accidentally get on the (wrong) highway, as they awkwardly try to navigate L.A. traffic.
As for the decoding, Greg is the first one to figure out the phrase (“City of Angels”), so he grabs his clue and races down to his partner. They’re heading to Bangkok, Thailand next!
Most of the other teams struggle hard to decipher the phrase. There’s talk of working together, until Rob creeps up from behind and beats most of them to the punch. The answer remains a mystery until Todd spills the beans in exchange for jumping the line.
The teams making the first flight out: Greg and John, Rob and Corey, Jocelyn and Victor, Andrea and Malaina, Todd and Ashlie, and Morgan and Lena. After a 14-hour flight, they land in the second City of Angels, where teams must pick up their first clue at Wat Paknam located near a huge golden statue of Buddha.
ROUTE INFO | Morgan and Lena pick up the clue first, where they discover they must head to Wat Suthat for their next clue. Oh, and about that Express Pass? Teams can try to win it by eating a plate full of fried exotic insects, including a spider that is far too big for my liking. The women decide to conquer the task and dig right in — respect! Andrea and Malaina pull up and almost immediately are like, “Nnnnope!” (I don’t blame them!) Despite Lena’s struggle with the spider, she gets it down and they secure that highly coveted pass.
Meanwhile, skipping the already-in-progress Express Pass task, Jocelyn and Victor are the first to get on a boat, followed by Rob and Corey. Soon enough, all of the teams in the front of the pack are aboard tuk tuks and heading to their next destination.
DETOUR | In “Sword Play,” teams must learn 30 seconds of a Thai combat routine, or they can experience a traditional massage by a professional masseuse. If they endure the entire routine (keyword: endure), they will receive their clue. Almost every team heads to the spa, but Andrea and Malaina choose to go into battle with the sword routine.
Todd makes a huge goof and says, “wait, wait, wait” to his masseuse. She stops, which then resets their 30-minute clock. Andrea and Malaina, once they change from a wooden practice stick to an actual sword, decide to bail and head over to the spa. Luckily for them, there are still numerous teams behind them on both tasks, including Elizabeth and Iliana who finally make it to the spa, but must wait for an available masseuse.
PIT STOP | Jocelyn and Victor are the first to learn the location of the pit stop: Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat Worawihan. They smoke the competition and land in first place, winning a trip for two to Patagonia! Rob and Corey place second, while Greg and John arrive third. The last place team and the eliminated pair: siblings Alexandra and Sheridan, who struggle to complete the sword play and ultimately come up short.
So what did you think of the Race’s first episode? Grade it below, then tell us your thoughts in the comments!
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