It Smells Like the Desert is the sixth episode of The Amazing Race 37.
Story[]
Early in the morning, Brett & Mark receive their clue to fly to Dubai. They head to a travel agency to book their flight. Carson & Jack leave a couple of minutes later. They are still surprised they didn't get voted for the Double U-Turn in the previous leg and believe the other teams may notice how strong they are, hoping the leg has a positive twist compared to the previous ones. Alyssa & Josiah are excited to fly to Dubai, while Pops & Jeff reflect on how close their relationship is, with Jeff considering Pops not only his father, but his best friend.
Han & Holden are excited to fly to another Asian country, Melinda & Erika are glad the Double U-Turn last leg kept them in the race, and Nick & Mike are hoping to finish at the top. The atmosphere becomes slightly tense at the airport when Jonathan & Ana arrive due to half of the other teams U-Turning them. Josiah apologizes, while Ana expresses disappointment in Carson & Jack for voting for them despite how close they were in the preceding legs.
All eight teams end up on the same flight. Upon arriving early in the morning, they are instructed to drive to the Platinum Heritage Desert Gate in the Arabian Desert. The first four teams that arrive will get an earlier release time in the form of a coffee cup. All of the teams get into their taxi cabs, with Carson & Jack's driver having fun with the cameraman and some of the teams checking out the Burj Khalifa, though Brett & Mark humorously mishear the building's name as Wiz Khalifa. Alyssa & Josiah, Jonathan & Ana, Han & Holden, and Carson & Jack get the first four coffee cups with the earlier departure time at 5:10, leaving the remaining four teams to get the 5:20 one. The teams have fun dancing with the locals and drinking coffee before they sleep underneath the desert tents.
At 5:10 in the morning, the first four teams hop on camelback and are guided to their next clue in the desert. Witnessing the sunrise reminds Carson & Jack of Star Wars. Han & Holden reflect on their middle sibling who has cerebral palsy, and are disappointed they can't share this experience with her. The first four teams arrive at the clue as the weather shifts to foggy. It is a Roadblock, where one team member must perform a tandem skydive with an instructor over the Palm Jumeriah. Alyssa, Jack, Holden & Ana volunteer. They make their way to the skydiving facility. The second round of teams make it to the Roadblock, with Brett, Melinda, Nick, and Pops volunteering. Melinda is excited to do a thrill-seeking task while also getting another Roadblock herself done, while Pops has always had skydiving on his bucket list.
All eight individuals skydiving head up in the air. Nick mentions he's been skydiving in the past, but had his eyes closed during it. On the ground, Josiah begins to cry, worrying for Alyssa's safety. Jack is the first to jump out, with Holden following him minutes later. Alyssa goes third, while Ana is the last to leave the plane. The teammates on the ground are shocked to see how high their partners are. All four of the first group are excited as their parachutes pull out, with Alyssa thanking Josiah for giving her the chance to do this. All four of the first group land safely, with Jeff calling Josiah's tears of relief one of the most beautiful things he's seen. They then get their clues, revealing that a Fast Forward is available. It instructs them to look in the parking lot for an orange Audi e-tron that would take them to Deep Dive Dubai. Jack & Carson beat Han & Holden to the car and use it to head to the Fast Forward. The remaining teams refuse to do it knowing the leading team is going for it and instead go to Atlantis the Royal to receive their next clue.
In the second group, Brett is the first to jump from the plane and Nick follows him minutes later, with both having a difficult time making facial expressions thanks to the wind blowing in their face. Pops jumps third while Melinda goes last. Pops is happy getting to experience skydiving and plans to bungee jump some time in the future. The three teams from the first flight arrive at Atlantis at the same time and receive a Route Info clue, which instructs them to properly garnish a set of sweet and savory pastries on an afternoon tea platter in the hotel's Horizon Bar and deliver them to the hotel's head chef, Christophe Devoille. After dressing in chef attire, all three teams observe the cakes in the example and attempt to copy them. After a close taxi race, the remaining four teams make it to Atlantis.
Meanwhile, Carson & Jack arrive at Deep Dive Dubai. They must don scuba diving gear and search a 200 ft pool designed to look like a sunken underwater city for the Fast Forward pass. The two gamers prepare to put on their diving gear. At the hotel, Nick & Mike attempt to be more patient with their task after failing detail-oriented tasks in previous legs. Alyssa & Josiah are the first to present to Christophe, where he rejects them for lacking gold leaves on their center pastries. Han jokes about Holden copying some of her schoolwork in the past, while Nick & Mike reminisce about their families in the kitchen. Alyssa figures out their mistake from their first attempt and they are the first to successfully complete their task. They are instructed to go direct their driver to Burj Al Arab Public Beach. Jonathan & Ana present their arrangement and get it right on the first attempt. As both teams for the beach, Han & Holden present their garnishes to Christophe, whom they both find attractive. Christophe approves their work and they head out.
After finishing training, Carson & Jack began scuba diving in the deep pool and explore the underwater city. After Brett corrects one of Mark's cupcakes, they are the fourth to successfully complete the task. Melinda & Erika follow suit shortly afterwards. While bringing up their first attempt, Jeff accidentally knocks some of the frosting with the long cake on the floor, and this as well as missing white flowers on one of their cupcakes leads to a rejection. Nick & Mike get it correct on their first attempt, leaving Pops & Jeff as the final team at the hotel. They correct their mistakes from the first attempt and are approved. After spending minutes swimming around the city, Jack locates the Fast Forward pass on a billiards table. Having successfully completed the Fast Forward, Carson & Jack are instructed to take their Audi driver to the Pit Stop, the Museum of the Future.
Alyssa & Josiah arrive at the beach first, where they find another Roadblock, which instructs one team member to surf on an eFoil past three buoys in the water. The other married couple and the siblings arrive shortly afterwards. Josiah, Han, and Jonathan volunteer for it. They each receive instructors teaching them how to safely operate the eFoil. Han, being an experienced surfer, is able to pick it up quickly, while Jonathan and Josiah struggle to adjust their weight. Brett & Mark arrive, with Mark not being thrilled about volunteering for the task. Meanwhile, Carson & Jack arrive at the Pit Stop in first place and win a trip for two on an Alaskan cruise. Though they understand the other teams might view them as a threat now, they are confident they'll overcome it.
As the other teams struggle with mastering the eFoil, Melinda & Erika arrive, with Erika choosing to do it. Josiah attempts the challenge first, but struggles to balance after the second buoy. The last two teams arrive at the beach at the same time, with Jeff and Nick volunteering. Thanks to Han's surfing background, she's able to get the task done on the first attempt. The siblings are instructed to race to the Pit Stop. They have to direct their driver to the Mall of the Emirates metro station and take the Dubai Metro to the Emirates Towers metro station, then make their way to Jumeirah Emirates Towers Plaza outside the Museum of the Future to check in.
Josiah fails on his second attempt at the surfing as the siblings leave the beach. Pops mentions how Jeff (who keeps his shoes on in the water) didn't like swimming as much growing up, but chose to do the task to even out their Roadblock counter. Josiah gets frustrated seeing the other teams catch up to them in the water. After calming down, he finally makes it on his third attempt. As they leave, Mark makes his first attempt at the task, making it more than halfway past the second buoy before wiping out. Jonathan's first attempt ends with a similar result. Mark's second attempt goes smoother and he's able to complete it. Erika's able to successfully get it done in the first attempt, allowing her and Melinda to leave. With three teams left, Nick makes his first attempt at the course but is unable to stand on the board. Jeff makes it most of the way through his first try before wiping out near the end. Jonathan is able to successfully make his second attempt while Nick fails his. Pops and Mike wish each other luck as they know they'll be the last two teams leaving the beach.
Han & Holden arrive at the metro station and get tickets to the Emirate Towers. Jeff successfully completes his second attempt, leaving the brothers the only ones at the Roadblock. Nick makes it after his third attempt, and the two brothers rush out to avoid elimination. Alyssa & Josiah and Brett & Mark get their tickets, while Jonathan & Ana catch up to Melinda & Erika thanks to having a better taxi. Pops & Jeff arrive minutes ahead of Nick & Mike and get their tickets. When they get to the train, they question if it's the correct one to go on. While asking a resident, the doors close, giving the brothers time to catch up to them and get their tickets. Unfortunately for the father and son, the brothers manage to get on the same train as them, meaning it will be a footrace to the finish.
Han & Holden arrive at the museum and find Phil and the Pit Stop, achieving their best finish so far at second place. Minutes later, Alyssa & Josiah arrive in third place and praise Han's surfing skills. As Pops & Jeff regret not getting on the earlier train and Nick & Mike prepare to book it, Brett & Mark arrive in fourth. Jonathan & Ana arrive in fifth while Melinda & Erika follow up right behind them in sixth.
As soon as the train doors open, the last two teams speed walk as fast as they can as they attempt to find an exit. They are neck and neck as they find a locked exit before heading downstairs, during which Nick & Mike gain speed and ultimately pass Pops & Jeff, making it to the Pit Stop and arriving in seventh place. They are greeted by the two teams ahead of them as the father and son arrive seconds later.
Despite a close finish, for arriving in last, Pops & Jeff are eliminated from the race. Jeff is proud of his father for all they've accomplished, while Pops thinks the experience was invaluable for allowing them so many opportunities, including allowing him to skydive. Jeff mentions how he always called his dad Superman and was happy to see him fly like the Man of Steel himself.
Route Markers[]
The order of departure from Grand Hyatt Bali are as follows:
- Brett & Mark (3:55 am)
- Carson & Jack (4:04 am)
- Alyssa & Josiah (4:09 am)
- Pops & Jeff (4:19 am)
- Han & Holden (4:40 am)
- Melinda & Erika (5:08 am)
- Nick & Mike (5:10 am)
- Jonathan & Ana (5:29 am)
Teams must make their way to Abbey Travel, where they must book a flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Upon arrival, teams must choose a driver and a marked vehicle, which would serve as their transportation for the leg. Teams must then direct their driver to Platinum Heritage Desert Gate, where they must search a Bedouin camp for one of two departure times for the following morning. The first four teams would depart at 5:10 am, while the last four teams would depart at 5:20 am. In the morning, teams would ride a camel and be led into the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, where they would find their next clue.
"Who's wants to drop into Dubai?"
The team member assigned to this Roadblock must perform a tandem skydive with an instructor over the Palm Jumeirah. Once the team is reunited, they would receive their next clue.
The Roadblock performers per team are underlined:
The Fast Forward instructions were given to teams after completing the Roadblock. Teams must search outside the Skydive Dubai Airstrip for an orange Audi e-tron that would take them to Deep Dive Dubai. There, they must don scuba diving gear and search the world's largest deep diving pool, a 200 ft pool designed to look like a sunken underwater city, for the Fast Forward pass. Carson & Jack won the Fast Forward.
Teams must direct their driver to Atlantis the Royal, where they would find their next clue.
Teams must, following a finished example as reference, properly garnish a set of sweet and savory pastries on an afternoon tea platter in the hotel's Horizon Bar to Chef Christophe Devoille. Once Chef Devoille is satisfied with their work, he would give teams their next clue.
Teams must direct their driver to Burj Al Arab Public Beach, where they would find their next clue.
"Who's ready to ride a wave?"
The team member assigned to this Roadblock, regardless of who performed the first Roadblock, must surf on an eFoil, a motorized hydrofoil board, past three buoys in the water. They must start the motor at the first buoy, stand on the board by the second buoy, and remain standing until they have passed the third buoy receiving their next clue.
The Roadblock performers per team are underlined:
Teams must direct their driver to the Mall of the Emirates metro station and take the Dubai Metro to the Emirates Towers metro station, then make their way to Jumeirah Emirates Towers Plaza outside the Museum of the Future to check in.
For coming in first place, Carson & Jack won Expedia cashback rewards for a cruise for two to Alaska.
Leaderboard[]
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• ϵ Used the Express Pass• ⊂ User of the first Double U-Turn slot • ⊃ Recipient of the first Double U-Turn slot • ⋐ User of the second Double U-Turn slot • ⋑ Recipient of the second Double U-Turn slot• ∇ Team that lost the Double Battle
Carson & Jack
Best Friends/Gamers |
Han & Holden
Siblings |
Alyssa & Josiah
Married Nurses |
Brett & Mark
Married Vegas Performers |
Jonathan & Ana
Married |
Melinda & Erika
Mother/Daughter |
Nick & Mike
Brothers |
Pops & Jeff
Father/Son Lumberjacks |
Trivia[]
- This is the first episode to feature a Fast Forward in the American version since "Have Faith in Me, Broski" in The Amazing Race 29, eight years earlier.
- The episode title is said by Jack Dodge.
- Coincidentally, the first four teams with the earlier departure times end up in the final four.
- While the leg wasn't like previous two Roadblock legs where it forced whoever didn't perform the first one to perform the second, nearly all team members who didn't go skydiving volunteered for the eFoil challenge. Nick was the only one who performed both.
- On Carson & Jack's podcast, they reveal there was a cut scene where the contestants took Jeeps before getting on the camels, and Carson became emotional looking up in the sky thinking about his deceased mother.[1]
References[]
| The Amazing Race 37 Episodes |
|---|
|
"Double the Stakes, Double the Eliminations" · "Very Strong Warrior Energy" · "Chaotic, Crazy, That's What We're Used to" · "There's No Addresses in the Jungle" · "It's Not Personal, It's Business" · "It Smells Like the Desert" · "Be One With the Hay" · "We're Letting Race Brain Win" · "The Pizza de Résistance" · "Up the River Without a Joust" · "My Knight in Shining Armor" · "We're in Miami Baby!" |