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Last week, the low-hanging fruit known as Matt & Daniel were plucked from the Amazing Race…only to be seen again at the finish line clapping and leaving us wondering, “What were their names again?” Supposedly on tap for this leg, we have two teams staring down a substantial time delay (Team Cape Fear newlyweds Max & Katie and Cowboy Royalty Caroline & Jen) and an apparent injury for another team (Team Livestrong David & Connor). That means the drama won’t be who gets first but rather which teams MAY escape elimination by simply being faster than the other guys and not faster than the bear (as the saying kinda goes).

Let’s settle in and get to the second leg of The Amazing Race 22:

We left the teams on a beach in Bora Bora and that is where we shall begin again. Jessica & John, our front runners with a pair of Express Passes burning a hole in their fanny packs, get to leave at 2:56 a.m. Their performance on the first leg solidified by belief that they could be Meghan & Cheyne 2.0, so here’s hoping they repeat that leg’s stellar showing.

With the first clue, they find out that they are staying in Bora Bora, so the airport won’t eliminate their lead, BUT the water taxi required for their destination will. It doesn’t leave until 7:30 a.m., so likely all the teams except for the time penalty teams will be clumped together.

John also reiterates that their first rule of the alliance was to not talk about it. He seems to be banking on someone discussing the alliance because then they are not bound by giving the Express Pass to Team Livestrong as agreed upon.

As the teams congregate while waiting, John spells it out for the father and son team that silence about the alliance is golden but Connor, understandably, just wants them to honor the agreement. I can see the reasoning for both sides but lean more toward Jessica & John because as he put it, “This is a race…not an honesty contest.” But he admits that he doesn’t want them to give up the power of people kissing up to them to get the Pass.

And kissing up the teams start to do, even the teams like Team Sock’er Moms Mona & Beth and Team Youtube Joey & Meghan, who proclaimed they weren’t going to do that.

While on the water, hockey brothers Anthony & Bates break down the teams who are missing and optimistically point out that they should be all right for a little while. Even though Team Slapshot probably has the ability to back up any arrogance, they seem very grounded and realistic to their approach to the race and the competition. The water taxis zip across the ocean to get the teams to their location, where they have to find a chapel and get a blessing (and their clue) from a priest.

As the teams run to the chapel, Wynona starts in with her pity party of being old and snaps at Chuck that she’s “sorry you have a sucky partner,” when she can’t run very fast. I have a sneaking suspicion that this is just glimpse at the ever-present trouble in mulleted-paradise.

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