They Don't Call It The Amazing Race for Nothin!

They Don't Call It The Amazing Race for Nothin!
Episode Information
Version:	United States
Season:	The Amazing Race 17
Episode Number:	1/12 (192)
First Broadcast:	September 26, 2010
Viewership (in millions):	11.54
Ratings/Share (18-49):	3.1/8
Episode Chronology
Previous:	"Huger Than Huge" (previous season)
Next:	"A Kiss Saves the Day"
Subpages

They Don't Call It The Amazing Race for Nothin! is the Season Premiere of The Amazing Race 17.

Route Markers

• Starting Line
• Route Info 1
• Route Info 2
• Route Info 3
• Roadblock
• Route Info 4 and Pit Stop

The race begins at the Eastern Point Yacht Club in Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States.

Teams must fly to London, England, United Kingdom. Teams may only take one of two flights. The first flight, American Airlines, could carry three teams and lands half an hour ahead of the second flight, Virgin Atlantic. Upon arrival, teams must drive themselves to Stonehenge in Amesbury, where they would find their next clue.

Teams are given a riddle, which instructed them to "find the castle that is the opposite of Nor'easter", which they must figure out referred to Eastnor Castle, where they would find their next clue.

Teams must climb a ladder on an exterior wall of Eastnor Castle while peasants standing atop the wall taunt and pour dirty water on them. Once they have scaled the wall, they must retrieve a medieval flag from the battlements. They must then follow a marked path to find coracles, which they must use to cross the castle's moat. If their coracle sinks, teams must return to shore and try again. Once across the moat, teams must bring their flag to a knight in shining armor with the same colors as their flag, who would give the team the next clue.

"Who's ready to go into battle with a knight in shining armor?"

The team member assigned to perform the Roadblock must travel on horseback to a tournament area, where they must use a giant slingshot to launch a watermelon towards a suit of armor standing 50 feet away. Once they knock the armor over, they must find the court jester, who would give teams their next clue.

The Roadblock performers per team are underlined:

• Andie & Jenna
• Brook & Claire
• Chad & Stephanie
• Connor & Jonathan
• Gary & Mallory
• Jill & Thomas
• Katie & Rachel
• Michael & Kevin
• Nat & Kat
• Nick & Vicki
• Ron & Tony

Teams must search the castle grounds and find Eastnor Castle Meadow to check in.
For coming in first place, Jill & Thomas won the Express Pass.

Leaderboard

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 • 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

Jill & Thomas  1st place  Jill & Thomas Dating	Nat & Kat  2nd place  Nat & Kat Doctors	Connor & Jonathan  3rd place  Connor & Jonathan Ivy League A Capella Singers	Brook & Claire  4th place  Brook & Claire Home Shopping Hosts	Katie & Rachel  5th place  Katie & Rachel Beach Volleyball Partners
Gary & Mallory  6th place  Gary & Mallory Father/Daughter	Michael & Kevin  7th place  Michael & Kevin Father/Son	Chad & Stephanie  8th place  Chad & Stephanie Newly Dating	Andie & Jenna  9th place  Andie & Jenna Birth Mom/Daughter	Nick & Vicki  10th place  Nick & Vicki Dating
Ron & Tony  11th place  Ron & Tony Best Friends

Trivia

• This leg marked the first time that the Starting Line in the American version was located outside Southern California since The Amazing Race: All-Stars.
• During Connor & Jonathan's intro, they are shown singing their own version of the Christian hymn, "Amazing Grace", in the style of the reality show.
  • The original version of the song was sung by an Elvis Presley impersonator in the twelfth episode of the The Amazing Race 15. 
• This episode marks the first appearance of the Express Pass.
• The episode title is said by Brook Roberts.
• This was the first episode filmed in the 2010s.

Reception

• Michael Schneider at Variety (09/07/2010): "The Amazing Races brutal watermelon attack"
• Rhett Allain at Wired.com (09/09/2010): "Watermelon Collusions - OUCH"
• Carla Patton at BuddyTV (09/24/2010): "Watermelon to the Head and 4 More Reasons to Watch The Amazing Race This Season"
• Chris Conation at PopMatters (09/26/2010): "Reviewing Season 17 Premiere"
• Sarah Kickler Kelber at Baltimore Sun (09/27/2010): "TAR Recap: Watermelon TO THE FACE"
• Andy Dehnart at realityblurred (09/27/2010): "Watermelon hits wrong person in the face as Amazing Race 17 gets off to a decent start"
• The Daily Beast (09/27/2010): "The Amazing Race: Watermelon Attack"
• Kayla Webley at TIME.com (12/09/2010): "Top 10 Reality-TV Moments: 5. The Watermelon Incident"