The Amazing Race Episode 9 “Dragon Fire, Little Doggies and Boiling Water”

The Amazing Race Episode 9 “Dragon Fire, Little Doggies and Boiling Water”

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The Amazing Race Episode 9 “Dragon Fire, Little Doggies and Boiling Water” 11/30/05

Amazing Family Race November 29, 2005.

By Marcus

Four teams started on the firm earth in tonight’s episode, but they all took to flight in a glorious hot air balloon ride outside of Park City, Utah. Part of the fun of such a voyage is the flight preparation work. In the cold crisp dawn light, the propane burners are ignited. And with the roar of a fierce fire dragon, the multi-storied balloons slowly inflate. And then the air travel is on! The quiet of the ascent is unexpected as the ground fades away and your sense of wonder is magnified as the earth’s vistas become more pronounced. A hot air balloon ride can be and should be thrilling experience, but for the Weavers who landed on the side of hill and literally butt-slide down, it can also be dangerous. But this is an Amazing Race and such adventures are to be anticipated. By the way, normally after landing ice cold Champaign is popped and glasses clink to celebrate this unique experience.

Perhaps it was the Weavers family primal screaming as the balloon basket bounced on the mountain side or maybe it was a non-filmed quiet renewed determination, but whatever caused it to happen, this family is back in race. They are revved and ready to compete.

The next challenge was at a railroad yard. To swing a sledge or wheel a barrel, that was the decision. The Linz boys’ testosterone kicked into high gear with their sister Megan as the cheerleader. They made the job look easy to lay 20 feet of track. But in my book, the real John Henry Medal would go to Sledge Hammering Wally of the Bransen family. His daughters just could not physically do the work and it was his time to show them that their ole dad still had the muscle to get a tough job done right.

The bickering Godlewski sisters did almost everything wrong. Something has happened to their cooperative spirit. Instead of pulling together, they are splintering like a Georgia dried pine tree. Unless they take some needed time to regroup and learn again how to work together, they may become their own worse enemies.

The re-charged Weaver family made a quick but fine decision to haul coal instead of swinging a sledge. They made up the previously lost ground from the yield and you can just feel their determination. Even the railroad engineer announced their work as “excellent.”

The next challenge was herding doggies on a working ranch. In this task, cowgirls Beth and Lauren Bransen sat high in the saddle and made their task look simple as chewing gum. The Bransen family is a strong force. They know when to select a particular family member to complete a task or be the “boss.” They rarely bicker among themselves, but rather stay very focused.

Finally, it was a dash to Yellowstone National Park. This grandfather of the national park system needs to be a “cannot be missed” life experience for everyone who can travel. There is something absolutely mystical watching the geysers hurling gallons of boiling water high into the sky, then falling back to the earth like diamond droplets.

And since this is a competitive TV show, not just for the families but also for the viewers and the ratings, Amazing Race did something different- a “to be continued” episode. With both the Bransen and the Weaver families arriving together at the Ranch at 15200, it was not a pit stop but just another clue to keep us all interested.

So, what do we now have? The tough and very prepared Bransen family…the squabbling Godlewski sisters…. the transformed Weaver family… and the never say give up Linz siblings. This is a good race.