BWW Recap: Teams Soak in their Surroundings on THE AMAZING RACE

Amsterdam. Floating hot tubs. Cobblers.

If those three things aren't enough to pique your curiosity about tonight's leg of THE AMAZING RACE, then we just can't be friends. Please leave.

If those three things have you thinking, "THAT'S quality reality television," congratulations! You have passed the test. You can stay.

Just when you thought the fun was over (I mean, really, it's hard to top lederhosen and drag), Season 26 takes teams to Amsterdam, a city known for its...er...shall we say, eccentric pasttimes. We're getting to the good part of the season, where peoples' true colors start to show (don't forget, there's a million dollars at stake). Sure, there are some things that are pretty much guaranteed to happen leg after leg (I'm lookin' at you, Hayley), but there are some underdogs (your turn, Mike and Rochelle) who just might come back from last (or at least, near last) and turn the game on its head.

Tonight's episode is sure to be choc-full-o' drama, comedy, and a whole lotta words no one actually knows how to pronounce.

Come and join me right here and on Twitter @CourtHenley as I live recap the West Coast broadcast of THE AMAZING RACE! As always, clever and witty comments are recommended - nay, required!

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8:05 : Oh. Surprise. Hayley makes Blair set up her tent for her. I'm stunned.

I like this whole "let's show the teams interacting between legs" thing. I always wondered what happened during the classic 12 hour mandatory rest period. Now we know.

8:09 : Their next clue is in a giant wooden clog bicycle and that makes me so so happy.

The devil is in the details. That could be The Amazing Race's new slogan. There's always that one challenge that messes with teams because one string is out of place. Or in this case, one klompen? Am I even spelling that right? Does anybody know? Bueller? Bueller?

8:13 : In the time it took me to write about the klompen, Jelani and Jenny finished the challenge, hopped on their bikes, and began peddling through Amsterdam. Good for them.

8:21 : Matt and Ashley are still stuck at the Road Block. This is what I mean when I say the Race can get turned on its head at this point in the game. Earlier on, they were winning legs left and right (or at least, coming close to first place). But now, they're stuck in last, and it's not lookin' too hot.

8:24 : Detour time! Tonight's Detour: Soak vs. Shuffle.

Soak lets teams drive an electric-powered hot tub, which just sounds awesome. Shuffle requires teams to play a Dutch version of shuffleboard, which sounds like a cruise time-killer gone horribly wrong. Soak all the way.

In other news, Hayley is yelling again.

8:27 : You know you're in an awesome city when: 1. There are more bikes than people; and 2. Electric-powered hot tubs are things that exist.

Kudos, by the way, to Matt, for keeping calm, not giving up, and finally making it through that Road Block. Just as many kudos to Ashley, too, for not getting angry at him and supporting him. I like them.

But back to the Detour. Those clues. They're just like those time killer problems your sub would give you in math class when there was nothing else to do. Guess they do come in handy after all...

Now if only those subs gave us a way to make Hayley shut up.

8:31 : For the record, I'd totally support Blair if he decided to just pedal up next to Hayley and just, you know, gently tap her bike and accidentally make her tip. (And by "support," I mean "help.")

8:37 : I would be either comically horrible or strangely fantastic at that shuffle board game.

Keep going, Matt and Ashley! It's not over till it's over!

8:40 : Wait, they get to skate up to the Pit Stop?! How cool (hah, no pun intended) is that?!

Or they can run up above the rink, that's cool too. A little less climactic, but oh well. You go, Laura and Tyler, for coming in first!

8:44 : Jelani and Jenny, you really think Hayley and Blair going to give up information? Where have you been this whole game? There are only 5 teams left, it's every team for themself at this point.

In case you forgot, Mike and Rochelle finally - finally - finished Shuffle, after 11 tries.

And Hayley and Blair came in second place. Meh.

Looks like tonight's leg will come down to Jelani and Jenny vs. Matt and Ashley. I'm rooting for the latter. Jenny's starting to bug me.

8:54 : And just like that, Jelani and Jenny overtake Mike and Rochelle to come in third place.

But apparently, Mike and Rochelle's getting lost syndrome didn't cause them to lose the leg. Matt and Ashley must've been pretty far behind, because it wasn't even suspenseful. At least Phil didn't have to come to them?

WAIT, A NON-ELIMINATION LEG!? I'm actually REALLY happy! This is one of the first times I've been genuinely happy about a non-elimination leg this season. Good for them!

What did you think about tonight's episode? Would you have picked Soak or Shuffle? Do you have any ideas as to how to make Hayley be quiet and stop complaining every week? Let us know in the comments below or tell me on Twitter @CourtHenley!

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