The Amazing Race Episode 17.09 There's a lot of Nuts and Bullets (Dhaka, Bangladesh)

Brook & Claire and Chad & Stephanie were on the receiving end of the first ever Double U-Turn setting up a climactic run to the Pit Stop through the crowded streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh, with the home shopping hosts narrowly beating the newly engaged couple.

OFF TO DHAKA

Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 11:10am, newly engaged Chad & Stephanie opened their clue instructing them to fly 2,000 miles to Dhaka, Bangladesh, the most densely populated city in the world. When they landed, teams had to make their way to Sundorban Square Supermarket and find a sugar cane press. Using the machine, they had to fill a large mug with sugar cane juice and one team member had to drink it to receive their next clue. Before the engaged couple ran off the mat, they also read that somewhere along the leg they would encounter the first-ever Double U-turn. In their taxi, Chad & Stephanie made it clear they intended on U-Turning doctors Nat & Kat because Chad didn't want "to lose to a pair of girls."

Arriving at the airport, Chad & Stephanie found a Jet Airways flight that landed in Dhaka at noon the following day. Dating couples Jill & Thomas and Nick & Vicki also booked seats on the same flight along with home shopping hosts Brook & Claire, all believing this was the earliest possible flight. Last place doctors Nat & Kat arrived at the airport hours later and quietly jumped on a flight to Dubai without being noticed by the other teams. Once in Dubai, Nat & Kat booked the rest of their travel that would also land them in Dhaka at noon the next day.

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF

While other teams scattered about the airport, including a hungry Chad & Stephanie devouring fast food, Jill & Thomas remained at the ticket window pressing their agent for any possible flights that would land them in Dhaka earlier than noon. The dating couple's persistence paid off when the agent told them about a flight that would land at 5:00am, seven hours earlier than everyone else. As the excited couple walked to their departure gate, Thomas joked, "No eating on this team." Lurking in the distance, Brook & Claire noticed Jill & Thomas' exuberance and walked up to the same agent after the dating couple left only to discover that the flight was now full. Feeling like she and Brook missed out on a big opportunity, Claire said, "I'm having anxiety really bad."

As Chad & Stephanie continued to eat, Brook & Claire told Nick & Vicki about Jill & Thomas' seven hour lead prompting both teams to now search even harder for any available tickets on an earlier flight. With the help of separate agents, both teams stumbled upon a flight that would land in Dhaka at 8:40am but neither agent could get two seats confirmed. In a showdown of battling agents for the coveted seats, Nick & Vicki emerged as the winner snagging the last two seats on the 8:40am while a disappointed Brook & Claire remained empty-handed having to settle for the flight landing at noon with Chad & Stephanie.

BALANCING ACT

Landing in the congested and overwhelming Dhaka, Bangladesh, dating couple Jill & Thomas marveled that the massive amount of traffic at 6:00am. Happy to have a massive lead on the other teams, the couple arrived at the Sundorban Square Supermarket in first place and Thomas began to crank the sugar cane press to produce a yellowish juice that collected into a large mug. After filling the mug to the brim, Thomas chugged it down and ripped open the next clue to find a Detour with the choice of Balanced Meal or Balanced Bricks. In Balanced Meal, teams had to pick up a midday snack known as a tiffin that is customarily delivered in a stack of interlocking metal containers. Then, traveling across the harbor to a nearby cargo ship, teams had to carefully hoist thirty containers to the deck. Once the meals were safely delivered, teams had to return to shore with ten empty containers to receive their next clue. In Balanced Bricks, teams had to use their heads to transport heavy bricks from a supply barge to a nearby shop. When they delivered one hundred unbroken bricks the shop manager would give them their next clue.

Jumping into a rickshaw, Jill & Thomas took a scary ride through the crowded city until they arrived at the shore of the Buriganga River and stepped onto a barge loaded with bricks. After putting on the proper padding, each one took a basket filled with the heavy bricks and slowly began walking with the basket precariously balanced on their heads. Jill's first attempt resulted in her spilling the entire basket of bricks onto the ground, but with Thomas' encouragement, she slowly mastered the technique to deliver bricks to the nearby shop. As he walked, Thomas noticed the men around him much smaller in stature carrying twice as many bricks and "barely breaking a sweat" in the oppressively hot and humid conditions. The dating couple successfully darted through the crowds and around rickshaws to deliver the one hundred unbroken bricks to earn their next clue sending them on foot to Dhaka River Port.

USING THE U-TURN

As doctors Nat & Kat met up with Brook & Claire and Chad & Stephanie in Mumbai to board their last connecting flight into Dhaka, dating couple Jill & Thomas arrived at the first ever Double U-Turn, allowing two different teams to each pick a team to go back and perform the other side of the Detour. The dating couple decided to target home shopping hosts Brook & Claire sticking their faces on the Double U-Turn board. Thomas later said, "You can't pass up the opportunity to put a top contender, knock them back a little bit, possibly knock them out." At the same moment, Brook & Claire settled into their seats on the plane as Brook said, "If they [Jill & Thomas] U-Turn us, they are the biggest idiots in the world."

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Just before Nick & Vicki landed in Dhaka, first place Jill & Thomas arrived at Nazira Bazaar to find a Roadblock. In it, one team member had to enter the mechanic's shop and properly assemble a cycle rickshaw using the parts provided. When the rickshaw maker was satisfied with the work, he would hand teams their next clue.

Gathering a box of parts and tools she referred to as "nuts and bullets," Jill set to work on assembling a cycle rickshaw as Thomas cheered her on. With the blistering sun beating down on her, Jill tightened the bolts to secure the bicycle seat in place and moved on to lifting the canopy into place. Adding on a bell, decorate tassels, pedals, and the backseat for passengers, Jill methodically built her rickshaw believing she included all the parts. However, when she asked for approval from the rickshaw maker, he denied her the next clue. Initially stumped on what she forgot to do, Jill suddenly noticed the bicycle chain hadn't been properly attached. After she put the chain on the bike, she received the clue instructing her and Thomas to find the Pit Stop at Lalbagh Fort.

Stepping onto the mat in first place at Lalbagh Fort, dating couple Jill & Thomas won a $15,000 Discover gift card. Thomas said, "It nice to know our work, our efforts paid off." On U-Turning Brook & Claire, Thomas added, "They just seemed like one of those teams that you don't want around in the final leg. Only one team can win the million dollars and we're getting pretty close."

A "POINTLESS" ACT

Running through the leg comfortably in second place without seeing any other teams the entire time, dating couple Nick & Vicki had only one moment of hesitation when they arrived at the Double U-Turn after delivering tiffin meals to the ship workers. Seeing Brook & Claire's picture on the board already, Nick wanted to U-Turn Chad & Stephanie, the team he deemed strongest of the back three. Being so far ahead of those teams, Vicki questioned the wisdom in U-Turning one of them, later saying, "I just thought it was pointless." After Nick conceded to Vicki's wish, he told her, "You're too nice." Once Nick assembled the rickshaw, the dating couple ended the day in second place where Vicki told Nick, "Being nice does pay off."

DOC'S DECISION

Landing at noon, Nat & Kat, Chad & Stephanie, and Brook & Claire all raced in taxis through the crowded streets of Dhaka to Sundorban Square Supermarket knowing that any misstep before the Double U-Turn could be costly. Chad & Stephanie still intended to U-Turn the doctors while Nat said that the U-Turns would "make or break this leg." The three teams remained deadlocked through the sugar cane press and then all three hired rickshaws to take them to the harbor to deliver meals. Nat & Kat and Brook & Claire both made it to the shores of the river and jumped into boats with thirty tiffin containers for delivery. Meanwhile, the rickshaw driver of Chad & Stephanie pedaled in the opposite direction of the other two teams and became lost in the congested city. After the rickshaw driver finally got the correct directions to the harbor, Chad said, "Just hoping that we're headed the right way and everybody else is struggling as well."

Nat & Kat finished delivering tiffins to the hungry ship workers ahead of Brook & Claire and returned to the shore just as last place Chad & Stephanie jumped into their boat. Running to Dhaka River Port, the doctors were incredibly relieved not to see their faces on the U-Turn board. With Brook & Claire already U-Turned, the doctors only had only one option remaining. Nat & Kat chose to U-Turn Chad & Stephanie in an effort to ensure they maintain their third place position while the two U-Turned teams behind them battled it out. Getting into the rickshaw, Kat said, "That might be our saving grace, not being U-Turned."

BATTLING BACK

Arriving at Dhaka River Port in fourth place, Brook & Claire discovered they had been U-Turned by Jill & Thomas. Before running back to the harbor to start carrying bricks on her head, a stunned Brook said, "Really? You're lame." However, seeing that Nat & Kat had U-Turned Chad & Stephanie gave the home shopping hosts "a glimpse of hope", according to Claire. At the dock, a motivated Brook balanced a large pile of bricks on her head and began walking while encouraging Claire to put more in her basket. After both women dumped out a pile of bricks at the deliver site, Brook again asked a visibly exhausted Claire to run back in hopes of extending their lead on Chad & Stephanie. While tired, Claire kept up with Brook and the pair continued to amass a pile of delivered bricks until they hit a hundred to earn their clue all while never even seeing Chad & Stephanie. When Brook begged Claire to run in search of a rickshaw, Claire told her, "You're not going to have a very good teammate if I'm passed out." Once in a rickshaw, Claire added, "I don't run marathons. If you wanted a partner like that then you should've chosen a different partner." That statement served as a reality check for Brook who promised to be "more positive" to Claire.

DO OR DIE

When Chad & Stephanie returned to shore after delivering meals the dating couple couldn't find the Dhaka River Port. After finally getting directions from a local, Chad approached the Double U-Turn board and joyously shouted when he saw that Brook & Claire had been U-Turned. His joy turned to shock once he saw that Nat & Kat had U-Turned him and Stephanie. Stephanie called seeing her and Chad's faces on the board "the worst feeling." Arriving at the dock, Chad hoisted a huge stack of bricks on his head and walked briskly while Stephanie struggled to balance bricks on her head. Chad snapped at his fiancée, "You gotta get mentally tough. This is do or die right now." Stephanie didn't appreciate Chad's "motivation" and told him to "shut the hell up." Chad eased up on how he spoke to Stephanie and the couple delivered the hundred bricks hoping to catch Brook & Claire. As they held hands walking back to the U-Turn mat, Chad complimented Stephanie's effort, saying, "You busted your ass. It ain't over though."

DOWN TO THE WIRE

At Nazira Bazaar, a slow but steady Nat continued to assemble her rickshaw when Brook & Claire arrived surprised to still see the doctors there. After Brook started putting the pieces of her rickshaw together, last place Chad & Stephanie showed up and decided that Stephanie would be best to tackle the task. However, Chad contributed his own assistance when he tried to rattle Nat, shouting, "Nat you should get this easy. How's that PhD helping you? Big smart doctor can't put a bicycle together." Nat responded that the U-Turn wasn't personal since he and Stephanie were the only other team behind them. While Chad hoped the trash talking would help, Nat ultimately realized she missed a few pieces on the back tire, made the proper fixes, and received the clue to the Pit Stop. After securing third place, Kat told Phil she and Nat "had no regrets" about using the U-Turn.

Down to only Brook and Stephanie, the two women tightened bolts, affixed bells and tassels, and used muscle to wedge in the passenger seat knowing that any mistake could be the end of the race for their team. After some issues with a stubborn bell, Brook finished her rickshaw ahead of Stephanie and ran out of the Roadblock with Claire frantic to keep their slim lead on the engaged couple. Using all her might, Stephanie installed the passenger seat to complete her rickshaw just moments behind Brook to set up a run through the streets of Dhaka. Seeing Chad & Stephanie behind them, Brook told Claire, "Run! They're right behind us!"

A CLOSE FINISH

With darkness falling over the city during the frantic run to Lalbagh Fort, home shopping hosts Brook & Claire held off Chad & Stephanie to step on the mat in fourth place. A stunned Brook asked, "How did we do this? We are hanging on by a thread." After Brook added that "a man U-Turned two little girls," Phil shot back, "Don't even pretend like you guys aren't a threat."

Arriving at the Pit Stop in last place, an exhausted and disappointed Chad & Stephanie received the bad news from Phil that they had been eliminated from the race. Chad said, "We gave it our all to the very end. Even though we didn't win the million I still feel like a very, very rich man. I really did get the greatest prize of all. I get to come out of this engaged to a wonderful, wonderful woman."