The Amazing Race All-Stars -- The Eternal City! Where's That?

Let's just say this episode didn't exactly demonstrate the intelligence of the All-Stars. For instance, quite a few racers were a bit stymied by where the Eternal City was. I thought everyone knew that was Rome and it was common knowledge. Just like Paris is the City of Love. I guess I guessed wrong. But the one that really knocked our All Stars for a loop was the final task which included adding a date to how many steps there was and recalling enough Roman Numerals from grade school to write the answer in Roman Numerals. One team couldn't even grasp the fact that you had to write it in Roman Numerals. It wasn't pretty.

The first destination was as previously mentioned, The Eternal City. Everyone managed to eventually figure out it was Rome and get the appropriate transportation there. Once there they're directed to head to Hadrian's Bridge where they'll find their next clue, which is a Detour.

Teams are given the choice to take part in a fight with a gladiator or to drive a remote control chariot. Most pick the chariot, thinking they'll be driving an actual chariot and being a bit disappointed when they see it a remote control toy chariot.

In the Chariot task one team member controls the speed and the other the movement. You have to do five laps before the fire goes out. It actually isn't as easy as it looks. Teams bump into other Chariots, and even drag their mini gladiator over the finish line.

The other task requires both team members to learn sword play and to stage a show where both team members are killed by the gladiator.

Meanwhile the Blondes have to do their Speed Bump and find the building that resembles an Olivetti typewriter. It's the Pantheon and they finally figure out where it is a place the typewriter on a pedestal in front of the building.

The next destination is the Piazza Di Spagna, which is where they get instructions for this week's Road Block, which tests their intelligence and many teams come up wanting.

In Step Up And Be Counted you have to count how many Spanish Steps there are and add it to the date on the Obelisk and write your answer in Roman Numerals. Most of the teams had to get help from the locals, with some not even getting the fact you had to count the steps. The Trotters were the worst of all in that they couldn't even figure out you were supposed to write the answer in Roman Numerals. Several of the teams shared info.

Unfortunately, John and Jessica get lost on the way to the pit stop, which is at the People's Square and they're eliminated. Teams checked in as follows:

1. Rachel and Brendon who won a trip to Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

2. The Blondes

3. Dave and Connor

4. Jet and Cord

5. Leo and Jamal

6. Flight Time and Big Easy

7. John and Jessica -- eliminated --

On this leg Dave took it's personally cause Rachel wouldn't tell him where the clue box was at the Spanish Steps task and I thought she could be bringing bad karma down on her. Unfortunately, Dave was still yapping about it as the next leg started and he showed his true colors and they just weren't pretty. In fact, the dude was so down right ugly in his attitude, I was wishing Phil would eliminate him next.

As the next leg began Rachel and Brendon planned to U-Turn the Cowboys to force them to use their Express Pass. However, when the time came, Brendon opted for a different team and the fur really started flying.

Meanwhile the Blondes showed how much they didn't belong in the race as they couldn't even seem to do something a simple as follow road signs to the first destination and teamed up with Dave and Connor to follow them as they navigated to the next destination, but lost them in traffic and got lost.

The first destination was a Detour where you either rode a donkey in a donkey race or assembled a donkey cart and delivered wood.

The guy watching the people trying to assemble the wooden donkey looked like he'd never been exposed to such morons. None of them could figure out that you needed to put the wooden basket on the donkey to hold the wood that you were supposed to deliver. Just looking at the look on his face was priceless. The man looked like he wanted to bust out laughing.

After making it through the donkey race, Rachel and Brendon got to the Double U Turn first and Brendon changed his mind about U Turning the Cowboys and wanted to U Turn Dave and Connor instead. Rachel was against the idea, but went along with it. Of course, when Dave found out he was fit to be tied and seemed to put all the blame on Rachel for it. He even got nasty as he started insulting her looks. Real classy, dude. It was this leg that made me actively loathe this guy.

The Cowboys arrived at the Double U Turn after Dave and Connor and were relieved when Dave didn't U Turn them. Dave instead, U Turned Leo and Jamal, and whined about how he had no choice but to do it, which was total BS, and how it was all Rachel's fault. He could have U Turned The Cowboys, but he knew they had the Express Pass and it wouldn't have caused them much delay, unaware they'd already did it to skip through this task. And because he helped Leo and Jamal through building the wooden donkey task, they free passed him for U Turning them and joined the old weasel in his, It's All Rachel's fault, whining. Of course the Blondes joined in once they finally caught up, because Dave is letting them ride on his back to stay in the race, since they couldn't do it on their own.

After the Double U Turn is dealt with a team member has to hand copy a page from a bible and Dave acts like a two year old refusing to do the task and making Connor do it instead.

Whether or not it was a good decision or not, Rachel and Brendon stay in the number one position, while Dave continues to whine and rage about how dare they U Turn a 60 year old man. Grow up, old dude. You're showing who you are and you're a very ugly and petty individual.

Teams checked in as follows:

1. Rachel and Brendon who both won $7500.

2. The Cowboys

3. Leo and Jamal

4. Dave and Connor

5 The Blondes

6. The Trotters -- who were eliminated.

From the scenes for the next episode Dave's still on the rag and getting teams to team up against Team Big Brother to get them out of the race to make them pay for daring to U Turn a 60 year old man.