The Amazing Race 21


The Amazing Race 21 is the twenty-first installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race on CBS. It featured eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.
It premiered on September 30, 2012, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and CTV with the two-hour season finale on December 9, 2012. While the prize for winning the Race remained at, if the team that came in first in the first leg had won the Race, the prize would have been doubled to.
The Fabulous Beekman Boys stars and husbands Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge were the winners of The Amazing Race 21.

Production

Development and filming

Season 21 was broadcast during the 2012 fall season on CBS. It spanned a little over of travel to three continents and nine countries including China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Turkey, and the Netherlands, which hosted a Switchback task.
This season introduced the "Double Your Money" prize for the team who won the first leg, making them eligible to win a total of $2 million if they also won the final leg; only six teams in the previous twenty seasons of the Race had ever won both the first and final legs. Elise Doganieri, co-executive producer for the show, called the larger potential prize "a real game-changer". While teams reacted with excitement at the larger prize, Doganieri hoped that if it was won, the additional prize money would be used for "something wonderful" such as supporting charitable medical research. Abbie Ginsberg and Ryan Danz, the winners of the Double Your Money prize, were eliminated from the competition at the conclusion of the ninth leg of the Race, after being U-Turned by Jaymes & James.
In Leg 3, Caitlin & Brittany were seen taken in the wrong direction of the Pit Stop, but in a post-elimination interview they stated that they actually knew where the Pit Stop was and were coming back to the Pit Stop after "backtracking" to retrieve a missing clue. During that leg, the Race featured the series' first-ever Blind Double U-Turn, where two teams could U-Turn another team, and whichever team used the U-Turn could remain anonymous. It was a combination of components of the U-Turn of previous seasons: Double U-Turn combining with Blind U-Turn.
Although contestants are typically forbidden contact with known family and friends during the filming, James LoMenzo was shown video chatting with his wife during the fourth Pit Stop to receive an update on his father's medical condition.
On Leg 7 in Moscow, prior to a task, James & Abba had left their bags, including the latter's passport, in a waiting gypsy cab, but the cab had driven off with their bags by the time they completed the task. They continued the leg, but before they could check in, they were told they had to try to find Abba's passport to continue the Race. Ultimately, they ended the leg in last place, learning it was a non-elimination leg, but if they were required to leave the country in a subsequent leg, they would be automatically disqualified. The entirety of the next leg remained in Russia, but they ended up in last after spending time again searching for the passport and were eliminated. As the production continued, the two had to secure an exit visa for Abba in lieu of a valid passport. According to Abba, the events of these legs occurred on the Friday and Saturday prior to a major Russian holiday, and it became difficult to work through the limited bureaucracy to do this. The two were fortunate enough that Abba's prior fame was recognized by an employee at the U.S. Embassy, and they were able to secure the visa in time to fly back to the United States on the day prior to the finale.

Cast

Applications for The Amazing Race 21 were open until May 9, 2012.
The cast includes The Fabulous Beekman Boys stars Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, former White Lion and Megadeth metal bassist James LoMenzo, Chippendales performers Jaymes Vaughan and James Davis, double amputee professional snowboarder Amy Purdy, and former ' contestant Ryan Danz. Rob Scheer is also the brother of former ' contestant Tina Scheer. Caitlin King is the sister of model RJ King and soccer player Julie King.
Contestant Sheila Castle suddenly died on June 19, 2016 at the age of 48.

Future appearances

were later selected for The Amazing Race: All-Stars, made up of returning teams from seasons 14–23. They later competed on the of Survivor, making them the first Race contestants to compete on another CBS reality show. Nadiya was the first person voted out and Natalie won the season. On May 23, 2016, Natalie appeared on a Survivor-themed The Price is Right primetime special. Natalie then returned to Survivor to compete on alongside other winners, and finished as 1st runner-up.
Amy Purdy later competed in the eighteenth season of the ABC reality series Dancing with the Stars, and finished as the runner-up. On June 9, 2014, Purdy appeared on CBS's The Price Is Right as a guest model. On April 1, 2016, Purdy appeared on TLC's Say Yes to the Dress.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:
  1. Gary & Will Blind U-Turned Rob & Kelley; however, they had already passed the U-Turn point and were therefore unaffected by it.
  2. In an unaired scene, Caitlin & Brittany initially arrived 6th, but had missed the clue at the U-Turn, having been taken to the Pit Stop by mistake. They had to backtrack to the U-Turn to retrieve their clue. During this time, Natalie & Nadiya, Rob & Kelley, and Gary & Will checked in, dropping Caitlin & Brittany to last place and resulting in their elimination.
  3. Rob & Kelley initially arrived 4th, but took a boat directly to the Pit Stop instead of to Swarighat, as instructed in their clue. They had to backtrack to their boat and take the proper route. Josh & Brent checked in during this time, dropping Rob & Kelley to 5th.
  4. James & Abba initially arrived 4th, but were not allowed to check in because Abba's passport was amongst the items stolen by their cab driver during the Roadblock. As they tried to retrieve the passport, Abbie & Ryan and Josh & Brent checked in during this time, dropping James & Abba to last place. However, Leg 7 was a non-elimination leg and they were allowed to keep racing until they came to a point where they would need to produce their passports for international travel.
  5. In Leg 7, Josh & Brent were unable to complete either Detour before the sites for both Detour options closed for the day. They were issued a 4-hour penalty, which was assessed at the start of Leg 8.
  6. ^ Natalie & Nadiya used the Express Pass to bypass the Roadblock in Leg 8. The official website states that Natalie elected to perform the Roadblock; this is reflected in the total Roadblock count.
  7. As they spent much of the leg trying to retrieve Abba's passport or acquire a new one, James & Abba were only shown retrieving the Speed Bump clue and traveling to the task before arriving at the Pit Stop for elimination. On the official website, Abba disclosed that he was able to complete the Roadblock, but it is unknown whether they attempted or completed the Detour.
  8. Trey & Lexi U-Turned Jaymes & James; however, they had already passed the U-Turn point and were therefore unaffected by it.

    Episode title quotes

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.
  1. "Double Your Money" – Phil Keoghan
  2. "Long Hair, Don't Care" – Jaymes
  3. "There's No Crying in Baseball" – Brittany
  4. "Funky Monkey" – Abbie
  5. "Chill Out, Freak" – Natalie
  6. "Get Your Sexy On" – Nadiya
  7. "Off to See the Wizard" – James
  8. "We Was Robbed" – James
  9. "Fishy Kiss" – Nadiya
  10. "Not a Well-Rounded Athlete" – James
  11. "Take Down That Million" – Trey

    Prizes

The prize for each leg is awarded to the first place team for that leg. Trips are sponsored by Travelocity.

Leg 1 (United States → China)

Airdate: September 30, 2012
In the leg's first Roadblock, one team member had to score one point in a game of table tennis against a 10-year-old Chinese national junior table tennis champion in order to receive their next clue. For each attempt after their first, the table tennis champion would play with an ordinary household object such as a clipboard, frying pan, or tambourine instead of a paddle.
In the leg's second Roadblock, the team member who did not perform the first Roadblock was treated to a Chinese delicacy dessert known as hasma, which consists of the fatty connective tissue found near the fallopian tubes of a frog, served to them in two hollowed-out papaya halves. The racer had to finish both servings of hasma, using only a provided pair of chopsticks and without lifting the papaya off of the table, to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: October 7, 2012
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to select four children and operate a pedal-powered ride known as an odong-odong while making eight different pieces of balloon art for the children. Once complete, one of the children would give the team their next clue.
The Detour was a choice between Ice-by-the-Pound or Fish-by-the-Barrel. In Ice-by-the-Pound, teams loaded ten blocks of ice from an industrial machine at Tirta Maya Ice Factory onto a waiting truck, rode the truck to a local market, then transported the ice by cart to an unloading zone at the Pabean Market to get their next clue. In Fish-by-the-Barrel, teams carried two barrels full of fish to a vacant fishmonger's stall inside the Pabean Fish Market. They then had to set up the stall in the same manner as an example stall, including breaking a block of ice into chips to keep the fish cold, to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: October 14, 2012
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to carry twenty dishes of food and serve them to waiting diners to receive their next clue. If they dropped any of the dishes, they had to start over.
The Detour was a choice of Lion's Head or Egg Head. For both tasks, teams had to travel by becak to Alun-Alun Kota Bangil. In Lion's Head, teams participated in a reog dance by following dance instructions along a procession route while wearing a lion's head mask over their heads and shoulders. Teams received their next clue after successfully completing the procession. In Egg Head, teams had to purchase four eggs from a local market, then participate in a custom called :id:Debus|debus, a show of strength where one of the many variations involves frying an egg on one's own head. Local magicians lit a coconut half on fire atop each team member's head and used the fire to fry up the eggs. Racers then had to eat the cooked eggs with a serving of hot sauce before they would receive their next clue.
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Airdate: October 21, 2012
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to repair one of the public transit buses used in Dhaka. First, they had to use body putty to fill in the damage, then sand it ready for painting. Once approved by a supervisor, they had to carry three pairs of seats and deliver them to the refurbishing area to receive the next clue.
The Fast Forward required one team to become rat catching assistants to a pest control agent. Both team members had to fill a bag with dead rats, collecting them from three different locations, to complete the task.
The Detour was a choice between Pound the Metal and Pound the Cotton. In Pound the Metal, teams worked with a local blacksmith to hammer and beat an iron rod into a sharp spiked tool using 10-pound sledgehammers. They had to hand-pump the bellows of the smokey, charcoal fire so they could strike while the iron was hot, and get the blacksmith's approval to get their next clue. In Pound the Cotton, teams made a cotton mattress via a traditional Bengali method. Teams had to use bamboo rods to beat clumps of cotton into a fine, feather-like consistency. Then they had to stuff the mattress, and sew it together to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: October 28, 2012
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to construct a balance scale from the provided bamboo, lashing ropes, and other equipment. Once the construction of the scale was approved, they had to weigh out the proper amount of wood to balance 4 large stones and receive their next clue.
The Detour was a choice between two forms of Bangladeshi labor: Straw Dogs or Bamboo Jungle. In Straw Dogs, teams first had to prepare twenty bundles of jute straw by heckling – throwing them against a nailed board, the heckling comb – to straighten and separate the fibers. Then, deliver twenty bundles of the completed straw to the looms, and at the end of the production line they would receive their next clue in the form of a jute mat with a painting on it. In Bamboo Jungle, teams had to collect 40 bamboo poles of different length and diameter from a storage area, then used a platformed freight bicycle to transport the bamboo to a construction site. Once their delivery was confirmed by the site's foreman, they would get the next clue, a small length of bamboo with a painting on it.
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Airdate: November 4, 2012
The Speed Bump required Josh & Brent to each eat one cone of Maraş ice cream from a nearby marked stall, which included a teasing performance common with the dessert by the vendor, before they could continue racing.
The Detour was a choice between Simit or Scrub It. In Simit, teams had to deliver three orders of the traditional Turkish bagel known as a simit to three different vendors, stacked carefully on a delivery board that one team member had to balance on his or her head. If any simit dropped, they would have to restart that delivery. Once they had proof of delivery from the three vendors, the baker would give teams their next clue. In Scrub It, teams took part in a traditional Turkish bath, receiving their next clue from the bath attendants when the bath was complete.
In the Roadblock, one team member dressed in vendor garb and had to serve 40 glasses of Turkish sherbet to passersby in the bazaar, selling each for 1 from a long-spouted brass teapot called an ibrik to earn 40 and receive their next clue.
;Additional task
Airdate: November 11, 2012
The Detour was a choice between Alphabetized or Synchronized. In Alphabetized, teams went to the Russian State Library and were given a list of books by author, title, and year. They had to use the paper card catalog system, written in Russian, to locate four of the books on the list. Once they thought they had the correct location in the stacks, a librarian would direct them to the proper room to allow the team to get the books and give them to the head librarian to get their next clue. In Synchronized, teams participated in a synchronized swimming routine with six other swimmers of the Russian national developmental team. After practicing the routine, they performed it for a judge, who would either pass them and give them their next clue, or would require the teams to practice more. In both Detour tasks, there was a time limit depending on the operating hours of each facility. If teams were unable to complete either task before the facilities closed, they would incur a 4-hour penalty.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to select one of the marked Trees of Love, trees covered in love locks, and unlock 10 of the locks with the provided set of keys to free a banner held to the tree. Once they freed the banner and unfolded it, they would find the next clue: a 100 ruble banknote.
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Airdate: November 18, 2012
For their Speed Bump, James & Abba had to help a Russian Orthodox priest to get to his church via limousine, however this task was not described by Phil on-air because they fell much further behind the other teams from the previous leg.
In the leg's Roadblock, one team member was shown a brief slideshow, showing a sample time in Moscow, a map of Russia's nine different time zones with their UTC offsets and Moscow's location highlighted. Then they were shown multiple instances of the same time zone map without the UTC offsets but with several other Russian cities highlighted. After the show, they had to fill in the corresponding local time for any five cities within an allotted time period. If they completed in time and were correct, teams would receive their next clue. If they were wrong or ran out of time, they had to watch the presentation and do the quiz again.
The Detour was a choice between Movers or Shakers. In Movers, teams had to dress up as Russian soldiers and learn the steps of the Trepak dance. Teams then performed the dance in front of a judge who would give them their next clue if they performed the dance correctly. In Shakers, teams went to a party where several impersonators of Russian historical figures were attending. They had to identify seven specific figures – Catherine the Great, Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, Leonid Brezhnev, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Peter the Great, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Nicholas II of Russia, and Vladimir Lenin – and fill out a form identifying how many impersonators of each person were present. If they identified the correct number of impersonators, they would get their next clue from an Alexander Pushkin impersonator.

Leg 9 (Russia → Netherlands)

Airdate: November 25, 2012
For the Fast Forward, teams had to travel to the Van Gogh Café and board a marked amphibious bus called . Once the bus entered the water, teams learned that each team member had to eat five soused herring before the bus returned to land in seven minutes. If they ran out of time, the bus would return to the Van Gogh Café and the team would have to wait 10 minutes for the next trip. The first team to eat all of the herring in time would win the Fast Forward award.
The Detour was a choice between Back in Time and Organ to Grind. In Back in Time, teams had to re-create the Rembrandt painting The Night Watch with a group of costumed actors and props, including themselves. If the Rembrandt impersonator was satisfied with the re-creation, he would award the teams their next clue. In Organ to Grind, after finding one of three Dutch street organs, one team member had to run the machine while the other asked for tips. Once teams earned, the organ grinder would give them their next clue.
The Roadblock was a Switchback of Season 12's Netherlands Roadblock, where one team member participated in the sport of fierljeppen, pole vaulting across a ditch full of water. They had to vault across the ditch, retrieve their clue in the form of wooden clogs on the other side, and then vault back across. If they fell into the water, they would have to start over from the last side of the ditch they were on.
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Airdate: December 2, 2012
The leg's Roadblock paid tribute to Mallorcan tennis player Rafael Nadal and required one team member to return 20 tennis balls fired by an automatic server within the bounds of a clay court in order to receive their next clue. If the machine ran out of tennis balls, team members would have to start the task over with their prior count reset.
The Detour was a choice between Spin It or Bull It. In Spin It, teams had to don safety gear and replace two blades on a 400-year-old Mallorcan windmill. Once a mechanic approved their work, teams received their next clue from a pair of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza impersonators. In Bull It, teams would wear a special two-person bull outfit, with the person in front unable to see where they were going. The team member in back would verbally guide their partner in the front to circle eight matadors and then strike a target to launch a final dummy matador within two minutes to receive their next clue from a picador.
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Airdate: December 9, 2012
The Speed Bump required Natalie & Nadiya had to make their way to the château's Chambre du Prince and properly lace and tie up a lady's corset before they could continue racing.
The Detour was a choice between Chow or Plow at Château de Cheverny. In Chow, teams prepared a meal of meat and other food for a large number of hunting dogs. They had to remove debris and bones from the meat, cut the meat into appropriate sizes, weigh out a designated amount of food, and then lay it out appropriately, before the judge would release the hounds and give them their next clue. In Plow, teams used a plow attached to a work horse to mill four lines in a designated field to the farmer's satisfaction in order to get their next clue. Each Detour selection only had two workstations, which were first-come, first-served.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to find a store display containing three different types of mushrooms. Using one of the baskets they picked up at the train station, they then had to enter an underground mushroom farm, find the same three types of mushrooms, and collect 10 of each variety. If they found the correct three mushroom types, the shopkeeper would give them their next clue.
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Airdate: December 9, 2012
In the first Roadblock of the leg, one team member was put into a straitjacket and bungee harness and hoisted upside down 15 stories above the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Then they had to escape the bonds of the straitjacket—a feat made famous by Harry Houdini—upon which they would be dropped in a surprise bungee drop. After being lowered to the ground, the team would be given their next clue.
In the final Roadblock of the Race, the team member that did not perform the first Roadblock had to attach the words for "hello" and "goodbye", as said to them by the Pit Stop greeter in their native language, for the eight foreign countries visited during the Race and raise them up the flagpole flying that country's flag. The correct answers were:
Country :wiktionary:hello|Hello:wiktionary:goodbye|Goodbye
China Nǐ Hǎo Zài Jiàn
Indonesia HaiSelamat Tinggal
Bangladesh Shagotom Aabar Dekha Hobe
Turkey MerhabaHoşça Kal
Russia Zdrávstvujtye Do Svidániya
Netherlands HalloTot Ziens
Spain HolaAdios
France BonjourAu Revoir

Once all flag sets were correct, they could then hoist the flag of the United Nations, which would also lower their final clue.
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U.S. Nielsen ratings

Canadian broadcaster CTV also aired The Amazing Race on Sundays. Episodes aired at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Central.
#AirdateEpisodeViewers
Rank
1September 30, 2012"Double Your Money"2.6334
2October 7, 2012"Long Hair, Don't Care"1.7839
3October 14, 2012"There's No Crying in Baseball"2.6722
4October 21, 2012"Funky Monkey"2.6473
5October 28, 2012"Chill Out, Freak"2.7263
6November 4, 2012"Get Your Sexy On"2.6503
7November 11, 2012"Off to See the Wizard"2.5413
8November 18, 2012"We Was Robbed"2.2593
9November 25, 2012"Fishy Kiss"2.0559
10December 2, 2012"Not a Well-Rounded Athlete"2.5612
11December 9, 2012"Take Down That Million"2.5273