Preview of Episodes 9 AND 10 - Amazing Race Canada (with UPDATES)

The end game is upon us. The next two episodes will see us go from five teams down to three, with no more non-elims or keep-on-racings.

Seeing as I will be away for these two episodes, I have decided to post previews for BOTH episodes. 

WARNING:

There are big spoilers here.

 You have two choices. You can back outta here the way you came, remaining blissfully ignorant OR you can find stuff out that will amaze and dazzle your friends.

It's in your hands.

Oh, good. You're still here! Okay here we go...

Episode 9. "For Those About to Rock"

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

Teams will travel back to Canada and head to Sydney and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. I think I'm going to love this leg because it will pay tribute to the rich history and diverse heritage of the area. And if that isn't enough, this looks to be a very physically demanding leg. Here is what we know from sightings and official previews/sneak peeks. I will note any of my speculation:

From live sightings on the day of filming, we knew the first stop was at Highland Village Living History Museum. This is the site of this leg's Detour and another 2X U-Turn. One Task is Highland dancing, the other is pulling logs. Both tasks require teams to wear kilts - queue the Outlander theme song...all we need is Emmett taking his shirt off. And I think it's safe to say the Emmett & Jillian/Steph & Kristen rivalry will continue, since it's become the major storyline of the season. Nobody is going to think twice about using that U-Turn...just the way it should be.
UPDATE: Looking at the preview, Rita and Yvette do the dancing task, while Emmett & Jillian, Steph & Kristen and Frankie & Amy do the log hauling. The dance task requires teams to wear a white blouse with their kilt, while the other task requires teams to wear a gray tee or tank top. There is one glimpse of Joel wearing the tee and Ashley wearing the blouse. Did they get U-Turned OR did they switch tasks? Hmmn.

The next stop is at The Canadian Coast Guard College. I can't say for sure, but I would guess this involves a task on the water (duh) and possibly something to do with search & rescue. Chances are this is the Roadblock. UPDATE: The new commercial shows a quick shot of two people in a motorized raft, so this is probably not a Roadblock after all.

There is a beautiful Route Marker at Fortress Louisbourg. Teams must re-enact a scene from the fortress' trading days. They were seen on the day of filming in full 18th Century dress (including tri-cornered hats) rolling barrels from the docks up (a long slope) to the storage buildings. I think the barrels are supposedly filled with "rum" that was imported from the Caribbean, just like 300 years ago. Teams must also fire the canons as if they are under attack from the English - a signal they must get the rum to safety. [Note: I think this could be sponsored by "Fortress Rum" - a modern brand of rum aged right there in the ledgers of Fortress Louisbourg] Emmett and Jillian were spotted doing this task alongside Joel and Ashley.

Teams were also seen at the Louisbourg Lighthouse and I strongly suspect this is the Pitstop.

Now for the bad news. Rita and Yvette will be eliminated here. It appears the Speedbump is the culprit and they just can't recover from the setback. Is this the first time a Speedbump causes an elimination?

Episode 10: We're Doing It Wrong! We're in Big Trouble

Saint John and St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick
[the penultimate episode]

The following is what we know from live-sightings during filming ONLY. I will update this when official previews and sneak peaks are released.

• Teams travelled from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Saint John, New Brunswick. Buses were sighted, but it is unclear whether this was transportation for cast or crew. Update: The preview clearly shows inter-city buses.
• This is a self-driving leg: teams picked up Chevrolet cars downtown - coincidently, beside the BMO.
• There is a stop at Fort Howe, but I believe this is just a Route Marker. [one team was sighted askig directions to Fort Howe]
• The Detour was a choice between a task at Crosby's Molasses or one at Moosehead Brewery. From what I heard, all four teams picked the task at Crosby's.
• One team was seen running into a dance studio near Cosby's.
• The sneak peek shows Jillian and Emmett trying to get to Chateau Saint John, with Jillian in the throes of another panic attack. She says if they are wrong, it could knock them out of the race. Don't worry. It won't. Even if they are wrong. This whole bit is just a red herring.
• From here, they drove approximately 100 km west to St. Andrew's-by-the-Sea. There was a task at Kingsbrae Gardens which I believe at this point to be the Roadblock (if that changes, I will update). It appears one person from each team is blindfolded and must identify various plants by smell. Joel and Ashley were seen here ahead of Frankie and Amy.
• The Pitstop is at Indian Point.

Update: Time for a Face-Off! The preview shows this one will be...GOLF. This is at the Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea. [We knew cast and crew were there during principle filming, we just didn't know the whats or whys]

The bad news? It's my understanding that Frankie and Amy are eliminated here. HOWEVER, I feel I must disclose that following this leg, one witness reported seeing four teams traveling in the final leg. There are a couple of explanations for this: Frankie and Amy could have traveled with the 3 final teams because it was the easy thing to do; Frankie & Amy could have been used as a decoy team (it happens!); it's a four team finale with one team eliminated mid-race; or the witness did not understand what they were seeing (teams vs. crew members). Let's just say I really DO NOT THINK it's a four team finale.

So there you have it. Emmett & Jillian, Steph & Kristen and Joel & Ashley will be our three teams racing to the finish line this year. What do you think?

Look for my season finale preview, which I hope to post by Friday, September 9th. See you then! Please feel free to post any comments or questions you may have.