by Gina Scarpa

 

Chuck and Wynona have been given a second chance on The Amazing Race, thanks to Dave and Connor's unfortunate exit last week. Let's see how they, and the others, fare on the sixth leg as teams leave Vietnam (and an episode marked with controversy) for Botswana. They all board the same flight but once there, they need to sign up for a plane headed for the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. There are three different slots, and Pam and Winnie end up arriving last, losing their lead as quickly as they had it.

 

Cozy foursome Bates and Anthony and Caroline and Jen arrive first, and must drive through the desert in search of the next clue. They find the Kalahari Bushmen and a Road Block, where one team member must go with them and find a scorpion. On top of that, they have to run from lions too! No thank you. Brave souls Bates, Caroline, Mona, and Max complete the task first and take their bushmen for a ride down Old Xhumaga Road. Meanwhile, Joey wins Best Freakout Moment for the entire season upon having to touch the scorpion and yes, I'm prepared to hand him that honor six episodes in. It was both fantastic and hilarious - and he did end up doing it! I would've been up a tree somewhere in the fetal position.

 

Teams face a Detour with the bushmen, with the choices being Fire or Fowl. In Fire, teams have to make fire using two sticks, manure, and grass. In Fowl, teams must set a trap and then trigger it. Despite the fact that there seems no good place to wash your hands after touching elephant poop, most teams choose to make fire. That doesn't seem to be such a wise choice, since almost everyone struggles with getting it going. Bates and Anthony continue to dominate the leg, finishing their fire first, and head on foot to the pit stop at Meno A Kwena Safari Camp.  Pam and Winnie's and Chuck and Wynona's decision to do Fowl ends up paying off big time, moving them well out of the last place.  Meanwhile, many teams abandon the fire to go set traps, which they probably should've done in the first place.

 

Teams finish in the following order:

 

1. Bates and Anthony (win a trip to Thailand)

2. Pam and Winnie

3. Chuck and Wynona

4. Joey and Meghan

5. Caroline and Jennifer

6. Mona and Beth

7. Max and Katie

 

Thankfully for Max and Katie, it's a non-elimination leg and they'll get another shot at staying in the race.  Had they left the fire making challenge sooner, they wouldn't be facing a Speed Bump next week but hindsight is 20/20.  Who are you rooting for?

 

 

The Amazing Race airs Sundays at 8/7c on CBS.

 

(Image courtesy of CBS)

 

 

Follow Gina @ginascarpa