The Amazing Race Season 37 Episode 9 Recap: The Pizza de Résistance

With mother-daughter duo Melinda and Erika Papadeas’ departure at the end of episode 8 of CBS’ ‘The Amazing Race’ season 37, the reality of how close the end is hits the teams in full force. After all, there are just 5 of them remaining, amongst whom one will soon get to walk away with a life-changing $1 million grand prize – we say soon because there are just a total of 12 legs. So, as episode 9 – aptly titled ‘The Pizza de Résistance’ – covers leg 9 of this global adventure, the competition and the pressure reach an all-time high, only for it to make or break some teams.

Leg 9 Begins With an Unexpected Clean Slate For All Teams

Since married Vegas performers Brett Hamby and Mark Romain had managed to secure 1st place at the end of the 8th stretch of this reality series, they are the first to begin this one at 12:07 am. All teams had already been told to make the arrangements to fly from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Naples, Italy, for another first-ever visit in this production’s history, so they made their way to the airport. They are followed by married nurse anesthetists Alyssa and Josiah Borden as well as married parents of two Ana and Jonathan Towns shortly after, with their start being moments apart.

Then there are best friends/gamers Carson McCalley and Jack Dodge as well as siblings Han and Holden Nguyen, but the latter’s start time is 3:48 am, almost four hours after the first team. However, as the teams arrive at the airport, they realize that their leads or lags have gone up into thin air because the flight schedule is such that they have all ended up on the same plane. In other words, they’ll all land in Naples at the same time to really kickstart the 9th leg, giving them an equal opportunity to work with their teammate and maybe change their fortune for good.

This is particularly significant for Brett and Mark as they hope to utilize the prize money by helping loved ones, financially settling down for good, and then welcoming a baby into their lives too. Yet, they don’t openly share this with the rest of the group even when they are just chilling, waiting to board their flight; instead, they ask for all the gossip and catch up with others. This is when the remaining teams learn that Alyssa and Josiah do indeed have the Express Pass, which they had managed to secure right at the beginning of leg 8 by walking on burning hot coals.

The Streets of Naples Leave Some Teams Utterly Confused

As soon as the 5 teams land in Naples, Italy, they are instructed to get in a taxi and head to Stazione di Montesanto, from where they are to get a “funicular,” aka a train, to the wondrous Castel Sant’elmo. It is there that they receive the next bit of Route Info, leading them to the Pulcinella Statue in a corner of a street, meaning they have to reach it on foot all by themselves. Since some teams take a few wrong turns just while on their way to the top of the fortress, Han and Holden as well as Ana and Jack manage to get the next clue and the funicular back to ground first.

The other three teams have to wait around 10 minutes for the next funicular, yet all of them still get to the statue before the ones with the lead, as they got lost in the compact yet lively streets of Naples. It actually takes them a while to get back on track, so Brett and Mark earn the Detour information first by rubbing the nose of the statue with both hands, with Carson and Jack soon following. Alyssa and Josiah are third since even they lose their way a little, and then came Ana and Jonathan in fourth place at this point, meaning Han and Holden again fall back to the end of the pack.

The Detour Proves Highly Frustrating For One Particular Team

The clue all teams receive upon rubbing the Pulcinella Statue’s nose is information about the Detour they are to face, telling them they have to pick between the Mandolin instrument or the Mozzarella cheese. If they go with the former at Liuteria Anema E Corde, one half of the team has to carefully screw all the core hardware together before the other half can take over and actually string it so that it is playable. However, if they go with the latter, they have to work together at every turn to make 6 Mozzarella cheese twists/braids, all weighing between 250-350 grams (8.18-12.34 oz).

So, everyone except Ana and Jonathan goes with the cheese – this couple happily decided to go with the Mandolin because music is one of the latter’s biggest passions, and he is even a hobbyist guitarist. Therefore, this was the natural choice for them, and it did indeed do wonders because it was in two parts, as they often have trouble working together since their approaches are admittedly so different. In fact, this is arguably the calmest Detour they ever did. Jonathan selects to do the hardware bit, whereas Ana does the strings, with her husband guiding her on how to do so.

Meanwhile, at the terrace of Maricliano, both Brett and Mark as well as Carson and Jack struggle with the weight of their cheese braids because it is hard for them to get a sense of what 250-350 gms even is. That’s why it takes them three attempts each before they get the approval – the former are close each time, but just a couple of their braids are off, whereas the latter’s first attempt is too light and their second too heavy. As for Alyssa and Josiah, they came a little behind, so they work slowly and steadily, just for Han and Holden to feel flustered once they see all the teams already there when they arrive. They believed they had their lead, and then Han has trouble letting go of perfectionism.

The Subsequent Route and The Roadblock Excite All The Teams

Despite the fact that Brett and Mark were the first to finish the Detour, shortly followed by Carson and Jack, and then Ana and Jonathan (based on the time), it is the latter couple that reaches the next clue first. In the Montesanto Quarter, they learn they have to get groceries for local residents living on higher floors before delivering them using buckets rather than stairs, which excites them because of how new it is. At this point, Alyssa and Josiah are getting approval for their braids in their very first attempt, which frustrates Han further, despite her brother doing his best to calm her.

That’s when Han opens up about her perfectionism and how it stems from being the eldest daughter in a first-generation Asian-American family, but then she stills her nerves and just tries. While she does so, the other teams reach the route too, following which they get on purchasing a couple of vegetables, 2 pieces of Panella bread, and 5 sausages for their local residents. Unsurprisingly, Ana and Jonathan are the first to complete this task, resulting in them getting the clue that subsequently points them towards Ristorante Da Ettore in metropolitan Naples.

Brett and Mark are the second to finish this task, just for Carson and Jack to follow, yet they still reach the restaurant before Ana and Jonathan, as they get lost trying to find the marked cabs set up for them. During this time, Han and Holden earn the approval they need for their cheese in their second attempt prior to rushing to the Montesanto Quarter, where Alyssa and Josiah also soon get done with the task. That’s when the teams learn that what’s next for them is the Roadblock – making a traditional Naples margherita pizza with 2 types of cheese, basil, and olive oil.

Only After All Teams Reach the Pit Stop is a Surprise Revealed

Although Carson is a self-admittedly a really bad cook, he decides to take on this Roadblock because if he doesn’t do so, then he would have to do all the others to come as Jack would reach his limit of 6. So, while he and Brett step inside the restaurant, Jack and Mark sit outside, just for Ana and Johnathan to soon arrive and the former to step inside too. She is determined to use all the experience she had gathered as a Domino’s employee while in high school, a job she loved, and it works wonders as she ends up completing the Roadblock in essentially the blink of an eye. She and Jonathan are actually out of there before the others even get a chance to attempt placing their first pizza in the oven.

That’s around the same time Alyssa and Josiah arrive at the restaurant, and Brett as well as Alyssa soon get their pizzas and their next clue too – their next stop is the Pit Stop, which is Castel Nuovo. Unfortunately, Carson really struggles with getting his pizza done as he makes all the possible mistakes one can make at one point or another – either he doesn’t use enough cheese and oil, or his base is too thin, or he uses too much sauce, or he ends up with a square pizza rather than a circle. Therefore, he and Jack are still there when Han and Holden arrive.

Meanwhile, Ana and Jonathan snag the first place and earn not only a time advantage in the next leg but also a 5-night trip to Mexico thanks to Expedia. Brett and Mark come in second place, with Alyssa and Josiah to follow, but the latter then express their determination to do even better in the next round. In the end, Carson and Han get their pizzas done within minutes of each other, and while the former did take long, the chef at Ristorante Da Ettore said his base was the best of the day. In the end, Han and Holden are the last to arrive at the pit stop, ready to hear the news of their elimination with their heads held high, only to learn from host Phil Keoghan that this was actually a non-elimination leg. In other words, they get a lifeline, which they are resolved to make the most of next time around.