Amazing Race: Unfinished Business - Head Down and Hold On (Australia)

The 18th season begins with 11 former teams who failed to win returning for a chance to claim the $1 million prize. The pairs include cowboys Jet and Cord McCoy, Harlem Globetrotters Herb Lang and Nate Lofton, and Goth duo Kent Kaliber and Vyxsin Fiala.

Unfortunately, I don't know most of the teams going back for a second shot at the $1 million this season on the Amazing Race. However, if there's anything interesting from a previous season that somehow relates to the race and the teams, the producers show a flashback.

Right now, I'm rooting for the Cowboys!

The race starts in LA with a couple of twists:

Just like last season, the first team that finishes the first leg wins the "Express Pass".

For the first challenge, the last team gets a U-Turn penalty on the next "Detour" on the race (the team would have to complete both tasks on the Detour).

Also for the first challenge, before Phil Keoghan gives the teams their first clue, they need to give him something first -- and the verbal clue is: Queensland and Northern Territories Aerial Services. Names of airlines are scattered all over a wind farm, and if a team was thinking quickly they would have figured out that it was QANTAS.

First 10 teams end up on the first flight, and the last 3 on a flight 90 minutes later -- to go to Sydney, Australia.

Amanda and Kris end up last and get the U-turn penalty. The other bottom teams were: LaKisha and Jennifer and Gary and Mallory (from last season).

And then, a big twist! A passenger got a heart attack on the first flight, and it had to make a stop in Honolulu. So now the second flight landed in Sydney first -- and proved to be a big game changer.

The last teams became the first teams and easily finished the challenges:

Road Block!

Swim with the sharks: Get a code-breaker compass in the middle of a shark tank. Then decipher a message. The team should go to a commodore who would give them the next clue if they give him the correct message.

Sail 16 Ft Skiff: Pick up the next clue on one of the buoys along Manly Bay.

Pit Stop: Shelley Beach

Results:

Gary and Mallory finish first and win the Express Pass, but the race continues! They get their next clue and go. Amanda and Kris finished second, and unfortunately would have to do the U-Turn penalty they incurred earlier on the next Detour. LaKisha and Jennifer were third.

For the teams on the second flight, running fast enough to catch a connecting transport proved to be the decisive factor.

The Cowboys unfortunately, not only missed the first shuttle from the airport to the city, they also missed the second ferry to Manly Bay, putting them firmly in last place. To compound their woes, Cord did not know how to use the compass to decipher the message they needed to give to the commodore.

All the teams made it to the Pit Stop except the Cowboys and then... "To Be Continued..."

I don't think the Cowboys will make it next week. Both of them looked like they had no idea how to decipher the flags and letters on the compass. Sad.