The Amazing Race 22: Episode 5: A Huge Ball of Fiery Righteousness

Wynona and Chuck without the banjo music for once.

This set of Amazing Racers are way too sneaky and strategical. Instead of everyone running their own race as The Fabulous Beekman Boys did last season, and won, there are all these alliances and counteralliances. In the very first leg, the now departed John and Jessica tried to split the pack in two by forming their Express Pass group on the first plane. Now this week, the remnant of the JJ League--the YouTubers and the Roller Derby Moms--were made the target of the Max-and-Katie crowd.

Just like last week, the whole first segment was devoted to plotting and scheming in airports and travel agencies as everyone made their plans to fly from Bali to Hanoi. After learning that Dave and Connor are leaving the race because of Dave's bum leg, Pam, Winnie, Max, and Katie vow to U-turn any of the leftover JJs because they perceive them as a threat. I would have U-turned the hockey players because they are much more of a danger to everyone else, but the Max gang are still hung up on how evil John is, even when they find out he's been eliminated.


All the teams wind up at the first roadblock, camping out overnight until it opens. Joey and Meghan have to keep their big traps shut as Max talks trash about their BFF John because they don't want to increase the size of the bull's-eye on their backs. I still don't see how they are such a big threat. Pam and Winnie explain to the camera that without the evil genius of John his former comrades will not be able to find their way out of a wet paper bag.

The next morning dawns and Dave and Connor eliminate themselves (or as Winnie says they DQ themselves) on the mat and have a weepy Lifetime TV moment. Meanwhile, the detour task is memorizing a Vietnamese phrase in the middle of Communist propaganda song which sounds like a Top 40 hit. The country singers even point out it sounds like One Direction. Meghan and the roller derby mom team up to solve it. Meghan demonstrates she is not sneaky like everybody else and helps her out even when she has got the right answer first.

Next, there's a bamboo dance which Dave would not have been able to do, followed by the roadblock--moving live chess pieces or buying the ingredients for a Vietnamese dish and cooking it. As promised, Joey and Meghan are U-turned by Pam and Winnie and they have to do both. In turn, Joey and Meghan U-turn Chuck and Wynona. This turns out to be a smart move, because that would be the only team they know would be behind them. Most of the screen time is taken up with Chuck and Wynona arguing. We also discover Chuck must have lost a lot of weight recently, but he looks 20 pounds heavier in his "U-Turn" photo. Meghan vows revenge and is now a "huge ball of fiery righteousness."

Because of Dave and Connor's self-elimination, the Wal-mart couple are saved and we are finally getting out of South Asia and headed to Africa next week. The next leg is in Botswana, site of the disgraceful behavior of Rob and Amber from Season 7 when they drove past an overturned truck of another team without stopping to see if everyone was alright. I still hate them.