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'Amazing Race': Episode 7 recap

'Amazing Race': Episode 7 recap


The remaining five teams are told to depart from the Netherlands and fly 700 miles to Stockholm, Sweden, where they must travel by train and ferry to an amusement park to find their next clue.

Sam and Dan are the first to leave, followed by Meghan and Cheyne, Flight Time and Big Easy, Gary and Matt and Brian and Ericka.

They arrive at the airport but find it deserted and the next flight to Sweden isn't until 6.55am. "Another night in the airport!" jokes Gary.

Netherlands to Sweden

The next morning, Sam and Dan, Meghan and Cheyne and the Globetrotters manage to nab seats on the early flight, but Gary and Matt and Brian and Ericka are told the flight is full and they must wait until the 9.25am departure.

Arriving in Stockholm, the leading teams sprint to the train station at the airport but Flight Time and Big Easy fail to make the first train, much to the delight of their rivals. "They are the other all-male team and very athletic," explains Sam. "They do pose a threat to us."

Sam and Dan and Meghan and Cheyne catch the ferry to the amusement park. They learn that one person from each team must brave a free fall ride to locate an arrow that will point them in the direction of the next clue box. The arrow will only be visible for 15 seconds before the ride plunges 24 storeys to the ground in less than three seconds.

Sam and Cheyne take up the challenge and decide to work together for a better chance at finding the arrow, which directs them to a game of ring toss involving gnomes. The teams must throw a ring around a gnome to secure the next clue. They must also keep the gnome with them until the pitstop.

The clue directs them to this week's detour as the Globetrotters arrive at the amusement park and quickly complete the ride and secure their gnome.

Meanwhile, Brian and Ericka and Gary and Matt arrive in Stockholm to catch the train but the latter suffer the same fate as the Globetrotters as they fail to make the first departure, giving Brian and Ericka a 15 minute advantage.

Detour - Nobel Dynamite or Viking Alphabet.

In honor of Sweden's history, the teams must choose Nobel Dynamite or Viking Alphabet. In the former, they must fill sandbags at a rock quarry and trigger an explosion to secure the clue, while the latter involves decoding a message using the Viking alphabet.

Meghan and Cheyne, Sam and Dan and the Globetrotters choose dynamite but soon struggle with filling the sandbags. The brothers take the lead after ditching their miniature shovels in favor of their hands and soon secure the next clue which warns them that they are about to encounter one of the "most infamous and daunting challenges in Amazing Race history".

The Globetrotters are next to complete the challenge, followed by Meghan and Cheyne. Elsewhere, Brian and Ericka brave the free fall challenge and gnome task, shortly followed by Gary and Matt. Both teams opt for the dynamite detour, although the former manages to secure the clue first.

Switchback Roadblock - The Hay Challenge

Phil explains that the teams are heading to a farm which was the scene of one of the "most unforgettable roadblocks" in the show's history. One member of each team must unroll bales of hay to find a clue flag hidden between. There are hundreds of bales and just seven flags.

Sam and Dan are first to arrive. Sam takes on the challenge but the pair soon begin to argue over his technique and thoroughness. Meghan and Cheyne are next to arrive, with the former opting to unroll the hay. However, she soon struggles with the physicality of the task.

While both Sam and Cheyne are becoming increasingly frustrated, the Globetrotters arrive in a good mood because it is Flight Time's birthday. He jokes with Big Easy that he wants a flag for his present and soon enough the pair locate the first flag. "He's so fricking lucky," says Meghan, while Sam says: "Of course, they're the luckiest team in the history of the race. Why wouldn't they find it?"

Brian and Ericka are next to arrive at the field, followed by Gary and Matt. Both teams realize they have an advantage because the others have already unrolled many of the bales.

On the verge of tears, Meghan finally unearths a flag and decides to surprise Cheyne by pretending that she can't go on. "I am so overwhelmed with pride that she's my girlfriend," he later says.

Next to locate a flag is Brian, much to the annoyance of Sam and Dan who have now been in the field the longest. Sam decides to take a break before restarting and is finally rewarded when he unearths the fourth flag, prompting Dan to apologize for being so harsh during the task.

"That's not a good sign," says Gary, who is still searching for a flag. "It's not our day," replies Matt.


Flight Time and Big Easy are the first team to check in and they win a trip to Turks and Caicos.

The check-in order is:

1. Flight Time and Big Easy
2. Meghan and Cheyne
3. Brian and Ericka
4. Sam and Dan
5. Gary and Matt

Gary and Matt are the final team to arrive after refusing to stop searching until they find a flag. Phil informs them this is a non-elimination leg and they're still in the race but they have to complete a speed bump task in next leg.

"My dad is superman," jokes Matt. "He just stuck in there and he did it. This guy never gives up." Gary adds: "We're still racing right now and we're going to continue racing. We're not going to give up. We will take it to the limit!"

The Amazing Race continues next Sunday on CBS

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