'The Amazing Race' recap: Chekhov and Mate

After the shutter alliance finally discovered the hidden home (which was about 10 yards from where they were all about to give up), they quickly finished, only for Kris and Amanda to discover they'd been U-turned. They suspected Kisha and Jen, or the blondes, and were so far off they actually said, ''Margie and Luke probably felt so bad, too.'' Luke really is proving that deaf people can do anything anyone else can, including be a sneaky backstabbing bastard.

At the mat, Phil was backed up by the requisite Troupe Doing Local Dance. Christie and Jodi arrived first, and won motorcycles. ''You can get them after the race to go cruising around in,'' said Phil. ''Are you into that?'' Was this a gift presentation or a pickup line from 1973? The rest of the teams dribbled in, until only the stuntbrothers and Kris and Amanda were left out on the road. The brothers were nearly derailed when they took a cab and only had 5000 rubles, when the cabbie wanted 8000. They tried to offer the cabbie their watches, only to find he was wearing a Rolex. Then they tried to give him their tiny jackets, but were refused. If only the jackets were stuffed with cole slaw instead of down: Siberian cabbies would eat their own mothers if they suspected they were stuffed with cole slaw. At least that's what one of Siegfried and Roy's tigers told me.

Finally the cabbie agreed to let them go. I can understand why this would be hard for a cabbie to do: If you picked up someone who was being followed by a camera crew, would you believe them if they cried poverty? I wonder if there is tons of footage we don't see of these cabbies asking the cameramen why they don’t chip in for the fare. The stuntmen handily beat Amanda and Kris, who were eliminated, after which they proclaimed their undying love. If they do get married, it would be appropriate if they quoted Chekhov in their vows. Although I realize they're far more likely to be quoting The Bachelor.

What did you think of the episode? Am I being too hard on people for not knowing who Anton Chekhov is? Or am I right in thinking that our country is getting dumber faster than a wheel of cheese rolling down a Switzerland hill? And what about the U-turning Luke? Will the other teams turn against him if and when they discover what he did to Kris and Amanda, or will they continue to treat him like a saint? And don't forget to check Phil's blog: I'll bet he knew who Chekhov was.

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