My Knight in Shining Armor is the penultimate episode of The Amazing Race 37. It was advertised as the first part of a two-part season finale alongside "We're in Miami Baby!".
Story[]
Early in the morning in Strasbourg, Carson & Jack uncover their first clue, which instructs them to make their way Voyages Mosaic and book a flight to Porto, Portugal. On their way to take a train from Frankfurt, Germany, they stop at a travel agent to book the earliest flight possible. The gamers are excited to still compete and be doing well in the race, enjoying all the different sites and challenges thrown at them. They also acknowledge that the other teams get easily flustered when things do not go their way. Next to leave are Alyssa & Josiah, who understand how serious the competition is ramping up and vow to step up their game.
Jonathan & Ana are the next to go. They acknowledge how tumultuous their relationship has been throughout the race, but ultimately believe they have what it takes to win. Last to leave are Han & Holden. The siblings acknowledge that they've been in the back for most of the race and that the other three teams are capable of beating them, but are focused on doing their best and making it to the finale. They're also glad to see all teams on the same flight, putting them in an even playing field.
Upon arriving at the airport, the four teams arrive at the newest twist in the race: the Valet Roulette, where teams must select a pair of keys from a roulette wheel to determine if they would drive manual or automatic. The gamers are hoping they get automatic given how they're better at navigation when Jack is driving as evidenced the last time they had a manual car. Jonathan & Ana are comfortable with either since they have a manual car at home. Carson & Jack and Alyssa & Josiah end up getting automatic, while Jonathan & Ana and Han & Holden get manual.
The cars each come with respective maps of Portugal they would need to drive themselves to drive themselves to Granjão, Vila Marim, though the gamers nearly miss it before a couple minutes into driving. The teams struggle with adapting to Portugal's roads, with several missed turns along the way particularly by Jonathan & Ana and Han & Holden. Holden gets directions by stepping out and talking to a woman and tells Han to calm down as she makes a quick, indecisive turn in a roundabout. Jonathan gives vague and quick glance instructions to Ana, greatly frustrating her.
Carson & Jack are the first to make it to Granjão. Their next clue instructs them to paddle a raft across the Douro River and roll two wine barrels uphill to Quinta de Santa Clara, Douro Valley. They grab the raft closest to the water and begin to paddle to the other side. Jonathan & Ana continue to be lost, with Jonathan blaming Ana for not interpreting his directions clearly. Carson & Jack made it to the other side of the river and come across the two barrels and begin their long push up the hill. Jack lags behind Carson slightly due to him being weaker, but the two friends are able to encourage each other to push through. As they're halfway up the hill, Han & Holden arrive and begin their rafting across the other side. Holden helps Han get into a rhythm to push them forward through the water.
As the siblings get to the other side and begin their barrel push, the gamers make it to the top and receive their next clue, after paddling back, teams would have to drive to Castelo de Santa Maria da Feira. Carson & Jack make their way down the hill, cheering on Han & Holden as they push their barrels up. Alyssa & Josiah arrive and begin their paddle across the river while Carson & Jack paddle back, with the two teams meeting and encouraging each other on the way. The gamers noticed the usually enthusiastic couple argue about which way to paddle on the way there. After finding a proper rhythm, they calm down and press on.
Jonathan & Ana continue to argue and be lost around the country, after they pull over, Jonathan has them switch places. Ana initially has some difficulty interpreting some of the map, with Jonathan feeling vindicated at his wife's initial confusion. The siblings make it to the top of the mountain and receive their clues, passing Alyssa & Josiah on the way down. As they make their way back across the river, Josiah helps his wife push up the last barrel and they receive their next clue.
After more difficulties with navigation, Jonathan & Ana eventually ask a taxi driver on the side of the road for directions, finally steering them the right way. Alyssa & Josiah raft back to the other side and start driving towards the castle. Han & Holden have some difficulties getting there and stop to ask for directions. Carson & Jack are the first team to arrive to the castle and receive a Roadblock. The challenge involves one individual donning medieval armor and hit three moving archery targets with a bow and arrow while sitting on a wooden steed. They can shoot up to seven arrows before trying again. Alyssa, Holden, & Jonathan are required to perform it to even out their teams' Roadblock count, while Carson & Jack, already having an even count due to the Fast Forward in Dubai, play rock, paper, scissors to determine who does it. Carson wins and is ecstatic upon learning what the challenge is, perfectly appealing to the gamers' Dungeons & Dragons fantasies.
Jonathan & Ana arrive at the river. While Ana attempts to remain upbeat to push forward, Jonathan has mentally given up and believes they'll likely come in last at the end of the day with how far behind they are. They argue as they steady themselves on the raft to row to the other side. As Carson is put in armor, Alyssa & Josiah arrive, with Han & Holden making it minutes later. Jonathan & Ana begin pushing up the large barrels up the hill. Carson comes out donned in knight armor, impressing Jack, as he begins training with an instructor on wielding a bow. After finding he got one of the clues wet, Jonathan & Ana make it up the hill and receive their next clue.
As Alyssa and Holden are armored up, Carson makes his first attempt at the targets. He aims for the middle one first since it's the smallest. He misses the first couple before eventually hitting it. He initially misses the medium target before getting it, leaving him with one for the larger target. Carson hits it and succeeds with his first attempt. He is knighted by one of the knights there and receives a sword before he gives it back and he and Jack get their next clue, they must drive themselves to Campanhã Railway Station and take a train to São Bento Railway Station and search the station for a man selling tiles. Jack congratulates Carson and says how jealous he is for getting to do it, while Carson felt the challenge was one of the greatest experiences of his life.
Ana tries to maintain positivity by reading out a slip written by one of their daughters encouraging them not to give up, but Jonathan remains sulky. Alyssa shows up in armor to Josiah's pleasure, while Han makes fun of Holden's shorter height in the armor, comparing him to Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones. Alyssa struggles during the first three attempts due to the heavy armor and still being sore from the barrel pushing earlier. She gets close a couple of times, but is unable to get the last arrow in. Holden nearly makes it on his first attempt, but misses the last target. He gets advice from one of his instructors on aiming the bow more horizontally, which he found drastically improved his performance in practice.
Alyssa is finally able to shoot all the targets on her fourth attempt, while Josiah jokes during her knighting. Holden is able to shoot the targets perfectly afterwards as well thanks to his instructor's tips, and he excitedly poses and dances in his armor before getting the clue. After Alyssa and Holden get their armors off, the top three teams make their way to the railway station. Jonathan & Ana eventually arrive at the castle, with Jonathan still moody as he's armored up. He admits normally he would enjoy the experience, but can't be positive being far in the back. Ana enjoys seeing her husband in his over the top medieval armor as he prepares to take aim.
On the way to the railway, Carson & Jack initially take a wrong exit before looping around and correcting themselves. Han & Holden stop by a nearby village to ask for directions to the railway, while Alyssa & Josiah are also having difficulties navigating. Jonathan initially misses just one target the first time, but is able to get it correct the second time, allowing them to join the other teams at the railway. Carson & Jack are the first team to arrive at the railway and get a ticket to a train that leaves in a couple of minutes, hoping that the other teams will not catch up to them. Jonathan & Ana argue in the car, with Ana taking issue with Jonathan's attitude since they came last in the initial challenges while he believes his wife is being too bubbly.
Han & Holden arrive at the railway just as Carson & Jack head towards their train. Despite having a few minutes left, they manage to get tickets to the same train and catch up with the gamers. Alyssa & Josiah also arrive at the airport, but have several difficulties finding out where to park. They end up getting rear-ended by an impatient driver in the process, but there doesn't appear to be any significant damage to either car, so both they and the driver move on. Because of this, the gamers and siblings are able to put more distance between them and the last two teams. After several wrong turns and loops throughout the railway entrance, they eventually figure out where they are supposed to park and get tickets to the next available train.
Unfortunately for them, the train goes through several delays and takes a long time to arrive. Jonathan & Ana also make it to the railway. While trying to figure out where to get in line for tickets, Ana cuts in front of Jonathan, which he takes high offense to. This leads the tense couple to argue for several minutes as they make their way to the train. Josiah & Alyssa are upset to see that Jonathan & Ana caught up to them and decide to go in a separate train car. As Jonathan & Ana continue to dispute over the cutting and several things that have gone wrong in their day, Josiah tells Alyssa they're not out of it yet and encourages her to push forward with him until the end.
The gamers and siblings arrive at São Bento Railway Station and locate a man selling tiles that listed their next destination: ODE Porto Wine House. After asking for directions, the two teams make their way to the wine house where they learn their last task before the finale: they had to assemble an azulejo tile puzzle showing the location of the Pit Stop, and then glue it on the nearby wall. Both teams examine the different pieces and find common ones to assemble the puzzle together. Eventually, the second train arrives at the railway station, and both married couples find the tile salesman and make their way to the wine house.
As Alyssa & Josiah make it to the challenge with Jonathan & Ana arriving immediately afterwards, Carson & Jack finish assembling their puzzle and are approved. They then begin to brick it on the nearby wall, which Carson has some experience with since his brother does it for a living. Han & Holden's first attempt isn't approved due to the rock formation in the picture being upside down, and they begin rearranging some tiles. Carson & Jack finish putting their tiles on the wall and are given the last clue of the leg based on the picture they assembled: to cross the Luís I Bridge and make their way to the other side of the Douro River to check in.
The married couples work at nearly an even pace due to both of them having experience with puzzles. Carson & Jack find the bridge they need to cross and enjoy the views as they find the Pit Stop, where they are greeted by Phil and a singer. They celebrate as Phil informs them they're the first team to arrive, will compete in the finale, and will get Business Class seats on the flight there. They express to Phil how much they've enjoyed the experience and how it relates to their love for gaming in general, getting a lot out of the race regardless if they end up winning or not. After solving the rock issue, Han & Holden get their puzzle approved and begin attaching it to the wall. Alyssa & Josiah have their puzzle checked, only for it to be rejected for a similar mistake with the rocks.
The siblings are able to get the puzzle on the wall and approved, getting the final clue of the leg afterwards. As they leave, Alyssa & Josiah receive another check, but are rejected again for having the skyline incorrect, giving Jonathan & Ana more time to complete their puzzle. The siblings arrive at the Pit Stop in second and are congratulated by Phil for making it to the finale. They believe that despite being behind in most of the legs, they are reaching their potential as a team and proving to the others how strong of competitors they are.
As Alyssa & Josiah correct their previous mistake, Jonathan & Ana are approved on the first attempt and begin attaching it to the wall. Alyssa & Josiah are approved shortly afterwards after fixing all of their mistakes. The two married couples attempt to glue the pieces on as fast as they can, with Jonathan & Ana having a slight lead due to them getting approved first, and Alyssa starts to panic seeing how far their competitors are. However, as they are putting on the last pieces, Jonathan accidentally drops one of the tiles and it shatters into pieces, ending the episode on a cliffhanger.
Route Markers[]
The order of departure from Table d'Orientation are as follows:
- Carson & Jack (1:52 am)
- Alyssa & Josiah (2:07 am)
- Jonathan & Ana (2:17 am)
- Han & Holden (2:25 am)
Teams must make their way to Voyages Mosaic in Strasbourg, where they must book a flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Porto, Portugal, then take a train back to Frankfurt. Upon arrival at Porto Airport, teams encountered the Valet Roulette. Teams must randomly select keys for one of three manual or two automatic transmission cars before receiving their next clue.
The car each team received is as follows:
- Manual transmission
- Automatic transmission
Teams must drive themselves to Granjão, Vila Marim, where they would find their next clue.
Teams must paddle a raft across the Douro River. Once on the opposite shore, they must choose two wine barrels with matching labels and push them along a marked uphill path to Quinta de Santa Clara, Douro Valley, where they could exchange them for their next clue.
Teams must paddle back across the Douro River, then drive themselves to Castelo de Santa Maria da Feira, where they would find their next clue.
"Who's got a steady hand?"
The team member assigned to this Roadblock must don medieval armor, then mount a wooden steed while attempting to hit three moving archery targets with a bow and arrow within seven tries. Once they have successfully hit a bullseye on all three targets, they would receive their next clue.
The Roadblock performers per team are underlined:
Teams must drive themselves to Campanhã railway station, then take a train to São Bento railway station. Once there, they must search the station lobby for a man selling tiles, who would give teams their next clue.
Teams would receive an azulejo tile that directed them to ODE Porto Wine House, where they would find their next clue.
Teams must assemble a 9x9 azulejo tile mosaic puzzle. Once they have properly assembled the puzzle, they must plaster the finished puzzle on a wall to receive their next clue.
Teams would receive a picture of their completed tile mosaic puzzle and were left to figure out that this depicted the Cais de Gaia across the Dom Luís I Bridge on the other side of the Douro River, where they must check in.
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 |
Jonathan & Ana
Married |
Alyssa & Josiah
Married Nurses |
Trivia[]
- This episode, along with the following one, marks the first time since "Houston, We Have an Elephant" and "They Saved the Eyeball" in The Amazing Race 7 that the original American version aired on consecutive nights.
- Excluding recap episodes, this is the first time that the original American version aired on consecutive nights.
- This episode marks the first appearance of the Valet Roulette.
- The wine barrel Route Info task was originally featured as the Whisky Rollin' Detour in "Working Our Barrels Off" in The Amazing Race 22.
- The tile puzzle Route Info task was originally featured as the Tiles Detour in "King Arthur Style" in The Amazing Race 23.
- This leg had an unaired portion at Casa de Pereira in Sabrosa, the birthplace of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan shortly after the teams arrived in Porto.[1] This created a continuity error in the final leg, where Magellan was featured as part of the Final Memory Challenge.
- Outside of double-length Superlegs, No-Rest Legs, and Megalegs, this is the first episode since "Off to See the Wizard" in The Amazing Race 21 to end on a cliffhanger.
- The episode title is said by Josiah Borden.
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!" |