The Amazing Race Wiki

I'm In Russia Playing with Dolls is the third episode of The Amazing Race 9.

Synopsis[]

Frustration mounts when teams have difficulty searching for a clue buried inside thousands of Russian nesting dolls.

Teams take an exhilarating ride across a 300-foot zip line in Brazil in order to receive their next clue instructing them to fly to Moscow, Russia. While on the zip line, one racer's nerves get the best of her. A deep water phobia paralyzes another racer who is afraid of drowning during a challenge and, encouraged by the other teams, another racer jumps off a high dive despite their inability to swim.[2]

Story[]

Route Markers[]

The order of departure from Fazenda Primavera da Serra are as follows:

  1. BJ & Tyler (4:48 am)
  2. Eric & Jeremy (5:01 am)
  3. Joseph & Monica (5:18 am)
  4. Dave & Lori (5:28 am)
  5. Ray & Yolanda (6:31 am)
  6. Wanda & Desiree (6:32 am)
  7. Lake & Michelle (7:06 am)
  8. Danielle & Dani (7:07 am)
  9. Fran & Barry (8:24 am)

Teams must drive themselves to a farm along Kilometer 114 Highway SP-225, where they would find a zipline. Both team members must ride the 300-foot zipline to receive their next clue.

Teams must make their way to the bus depot in Brotas. Once there, they must claim tickets for charter buses leaving 45 minutes apart beginning at 9:45 am back to São Paulo. Once in São Paulo, teams must fly to Moscow, Russia. Upon arrival, teams must make their way to Chaika Bassein, where they would find their next clue.

"Who wants to take the plunge?"

The team member assigned to perform this Roadblock must put on a bathing suit and dive off a 10-meter diving platform into the pool below, in frigid weather. Once they took the plunge, they had to swim to the bottom of the pool to retrieve their next clue.

The Roadblock performers per team are underlined:

Teams must take a taxi to Novodevichiy Monastery. On the monastery grounds, teams must find the Smolensk Cathedral, where they would find their next clue.

Choice A: Scrub
Teams must travel to a trolley bus depot at 8 Trolley Park and thoroughly wash a Russian public trolleybus inside and out to the satisfaction of the bus attendant to receive their next clue.

Danielle & Dani, Dave & Lori, Joseph & Monica, and Wanda & Desiree chose this task.


Choice B: Scour
Teams must travel to Dubrovka Theatre to search among 1,500 pieces of Russian nesting dolls to find one of 10 microscopic clues hidden inside a doll.

BJ & Tyler, Eric & Jeremy, Fran & Barry, Lake & Michelle, and Ray & Yolanda chose this task.

Teams must make their way to Red Square and search behind Saint Basil's Cathedral to meet with host Phil Keoghan. Teams would be handed their next clue by Phil, revealing that they were still racing.

Leaderboard[]

Due to Leg 3 being a superleg and this episode covering its first half, these placements reflect the order teams arrived at Saint Basil's Cathedral, the leg's midpoint stop.

Legend:
     First Place •      Eliminated     Last placer on a Non-Elimination Leg or continue racing on a No-Rest Leg     Season winner •      Season 2nd place •      Season 3rd place • Used the Fast Forward> Used the Yield< Recipient of the Yield
Eric & Jeremy
Eric & Jeremy
 1st place 
Eric & Jeremy
Friends
Lake & Michelle
Lake & Michelle
 2nd place 
Lake & Michelle
Married Parents
Ray & Yolanda
Ray & Yolanda
 3rd place 
Ray & Yolanda
Dating
BJ & Tyler
BJ & Tyler
 4th place 
BJ & Tyler
Best Friends
Fran & Barry
Fran & Barry
 5th place 
Fran & Barry
Married 40 Years
Danielle & Dani
Danielle & Dani
 6th place 
Danielle & Dani
Childhood Friends
Wanda & Desiree
Wanda & Desiree
 7th place 
Wanda & Desiree
Mother/Daughter
Joseph & Monica
Joseph & Monica
 8th place 
Joseph & Monica
Dating
Dave & Lori
Dave & Lori
 9th place 
Dave & Lori
Dating

Trivia[]

  • This episode title is said by Jeremy Ryan.
  • This is the earliest Superleg in the American version and as well in the whole The Amazing Race franchise.

Reception[]

  • Brian Dakss at CBSNews.com (03/15/2006): "Surprise For 'Race' Moscow Leg Leaders"

References[]

The Amazing Race 9 Episodes

"Here We Go, Baby, Off to Win a Million Bucks!" · "I'm Filthy and I Love It" · "I'm in Russia Playing with Dolls" · "It's Not Over Until the Phil Sings" · "Good Thing I Took That Human Anatomy Class in High School" · "Sleep Deprivation Is Really Starting to Irritate Me" · "Herculean Effort for Some Herculean Dudes" · "Here Comes the Bedouin!" · "Do You Know How Much Running I Did Today, Phil?" · "Man, They Should Have Used Their Fake Names" · "I Think This Monkey Likes Me" · "5 Continents, 9 Countries, More Than 59,000 Miles"