Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely no ‘The Amazing Race’ fan can deny, it’s that the premiere episode of season 37 set an incredible tone for the entire production to follow. That’s because it not only introduced us to the 14 teams partaking in this installment but also gave us an insight into all the twists and turns ahead before changing the game with a double elimination. Therefore, of course, its sophomore episode – ‘Very Strong Warrior Energy’ – introduces an entirely new dynamic, especially with the teams all being even more motivated than before.
The Second Leg Starts With Some Big Smiles, Resourceful Improvisations, and a Fight
Since best friends Carson McCalley and Jack Dodge were the very first to arrive at Pit Stop #1 in the inaugural episode, they are the first to depart for the second leg of the game, too. They are followed by all the other teams in the order they completed the initial leg in Hong Kong, China, with married couple Ana and Jonathan Towns sharing that it’s their 7th anniversary. Each team is instructed to reach Skywards Travel Agency at the Crocodile Center, from where they are to book their tickets to Osaka, Japan, so as to really begin their next set of challenges.
Unsurprisingly, Carson and Jack are the first to get their airfare sorted, but they choose a flight with a short layover in Taipei, Taiwan, instead of a direct one as it lands in Osaka at 6:05 am. Father-daughter duo Ernest and Bridget Cato, as well as married performers Brett Hamby and Mark Romain, follow in their footsteps, whereas the remaining teams choose a direct flight. However, four teams aren’t as lucky as others since the 6:35 am landing plane is all booked out by the time they reach the agency, leaving them with no choice but to take the 7:55 am landing flight.
Once these last four duos arrive at the airport, though, half of them decide to speak to the professionals at the check-in counter in the hopes of getting bumped up to the 6:35 flight, and they do. On the flip side, Married Parents of Eight Lori and Scott Thompson, as well as close friends of 7 years Bernie Gutierrez and Carrigain Scadden, are left waiting for their later direct flight. Bernie actually wanted to try to get on the earlier flight, but Carrigain thought it would be a waste of time, so they end up really butting heads until they think of a way to compromise and move on.
Osaka Tests the Teams’ Compatibility, Patience, and Teamwork
The moment each team lands in wondrous Osaka, Japan, at their scheduled time, they are given an envelope with clear instructions to head to the landmark Tsūtenkaku Tower for their next clue. There, they find another envelope stating they are to head to Namba Hatch next, where they’ll face the classic Intersection and have to work with another team to complete a Roadblock challenge. The first ones to make it here are Ernest and Bridget, followed by Brett and Mark and then immediately Carson and Jack, but they had already decided the initial two teams would pair up, no matter what.
Therefore, while Carson and Jack have no option but to wait for somebody to show up, the intersected team steps inside the Hatch for their challenge – playing traditional Japanese drums, aka Taiko. By the time all six intersected teams make it inside – Ernest and Bridget with Brett and Mark, Carson and Jack with Jonathan and Ava, married couple Alyssa and Josiah Borde with brothers Mike and Nick Fiorito, dating nurses Courtney McCalley and Jasmin Carey with father-son duo Jeff “Pops” Bailey and Jeff Bailey, mother-daughter duo Melinda and Erika Papadeas with siblings Han and Holden Nguyen, and finally friends Bernie and Carrigain with Lori and Scott – no one has passed this round.
Mark and Jonathan are the first to succeed by a long run on their second attempt, followed by Alyssa and Nick on their third, Bernie and Scott on their first, and Courtney and Jeff on their 8th. The fifth intersected team to move on is Erika and Holden, making Ernest and Mark the last despite their ample head start owing to the simple fact the former got into his head. Mark tries to help using his musical background, but he simply can’t get through because he has no idea what motivates Ernest, so it takes them 17 long attempts to get the approval of the Taiko master.
The Decision Between Mochi vs. Mawashi Leads to the Third Elimination of the Season
Once each team passes the Intersection, they are by themselves again, so the Detour decision between making mochi (rice cake) or wrapping a mawashi (wrestling garment) is theirs alone. Almost every single duo except Pops and Jeff, Courtney and Jasmin, as well as Melinda and Erika choose the latter, thinking it would be easier, but it turns out to be quite the opposite. That’s because the teams have to drape the mawashi on each other before getting approval from a professional sumo wrestler, who then challenges them for fun before giving them their next clue.
On the flip side, those who choose the mochi just have to pound the rice, get approval of the consistency, and then make similar-sized balls for further approval — it is physical but technically easier. In the end, Jonathan and Ava are the first ones to make it to the pit stop (the Buddhist temple Itsukushima Jinja Tahoto Pagoda), earning them the additional reward of a trip to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. In other words, they cap their anniversary with a win, making them even more motivated to keep playing. They are followed by Lori and Scott, Alyssa and Josiah, as well as Carson and Jack, all of whom are extremely pleased with their positions.
Surprisingly, thanks to their quick work with the mawashi, even Brett and Mark make it to the pit stop in the top 10, leaving siblings Han and Holden, as well as father-daughter Ernest and Bridget, to race for the final spot. The siblings actually got lost in the final crucial moments as they took a wrong turn while trying to rush to the Tahoto Pagoda, but they still made it to the temple before Ernest and Bridget. The father was honestly sad about their elimination because he thought he had let his daughter down the entire day, but the truth is Bridget was far from disappointed. She was admittedly over the moon about this whole adventure because it gave her time to get to know her father one-on-one on a deeper, personal level. So, the Catos walked away with their head held high.
Read More: Amazing Race 37 Episode 1 Recap: Double the Stakes Double the Eliminates
