The Amazing Race Canada threw a major curveball at the remaining Racers this week by sending them to a city most don’t think of when it comes to international travel: Jakarta. For a great in-depth peek at why Jakarta was chosen and the unique challenges of filming there read Bill Brioux’s Toronto Star piece.

Taylor and Courtney, the RCMP siblings, kicked off this Leg and were psyched to be jetting over 13,000 km to Indonesia. And with a Double U-Turn ahead, things were going to get sticky temperature and gameplay-wise. The top three heading out of Vancouver—Courtney and Taylor, Anna and Todd and Mar and Leanne—may be among the strongest and evenly-matched The Amazing Race Canada has ever had. At least, they look that way just four Legs in.

After arriving at Fatahillah Square to receive their next clue, Kwame and Dillon found themselves in first place and watching the welcome dance alongside Leanne and Mar. Would the football coaches and football cheerleaders hold those top spots until the end of the Leg? Not likely, thanks to bad traffic, stifling temperatures and frayed nerves. A jaunt to the old port presented pairs with a prickly test: carry durian from the dockside to crates on board a boat by traversing wobbly logs. Slow and steady was the order of the day to complete the task. Sadly, slow and in the wrong direction was what Kwame and Dillon and Anna and Todd both experienced and they fell far behind.

Leanne and Mar were done in a flash and departed for the bird market and the Blind Double U-Turn, where teams who U-Turned others would be anonymous. Leanne and Mar didn’t U-Turn anyone. Neither did Courtney and Adam. Nancy and Mel, however, U-Turned Martina and Phil. Zainab and Monica chose to U-Turn Todd and Anna.

The Detour presented teams with Ular (washing and drying a snake and then putting leeches on each other) or Kebaya (sewing panels and then attaching them to the inside of a woman’s blazer). Despite the grossness, I would have done the snake/leech challenge in a second. Leanne and Mar chose Ular too, as did Courtney and Adam, Mel and Nancy and Monica and Zainab. Seriously, why would anyone choose to do sewing unless they had to? Speaking of teams who were in for a nasty surprise, Martina and Phil’s cab arrived off the mark and then learned they’d been U-Turned.

Credit to Martina and Phil for not getting down. Instead, they sprinted to Kebaya where Martina called on her home ec skills to tear through the test. The siblings passed Todd and Anna as they swapped Detours. Whoever finished first would likely edge out the other team for the last spot in the mat.

Nancy and Mel shot to the head of the pack thanks to hungry leeches and were off Gedung Teater Bulungan for the next clue. In this week’s Road Block, Racers participated in the Dance of 1,000 Hands, learning a complicated hand and body movements of the Saman Dance. Nancy, Adam, Leanne, Taylor, Adam and Dillon all took a shot at it, with Leanne being the first to complete the task. Nancy was close behind and the two teams were off to meet Jon Montgomery in Merdeka Square. Leanne and Mar held on to take the top spot, landing a trip for two to Vietnam.

The biggest story of this Leg was Martina and Phil who, despite being U-Turned by Nancy and Phil, finished in sixth place. Todd and Anna, who may very well have won this season of The Amazing Race Canada, were derailed by the U-Turn and never recovered. Next week the remaining teams are headed to Stratford, Ont. I got the chance to observe that Leg; look for my spoiler-free preview later this week.

Which team do you think will win it all? Would you have cleaned a snake or sewn a blazer? Let me know in the comments below!

Here’s how the teams finished this Leg of the Race:

1. Mar and Leanne (trip for two to Vietnam)
2. Nancy and Mel
3. Dillon and Kwame
4. Zainab and Monica
5. Taylor and Courtney
6. Martina and Phil
7. Courtney and Adam
8. Todd and Anna (eliminated)

The Amazing Race Canada airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. MT on CTV.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

Last week’s episode of The Amazing Race Canada unveiled a couple of firsts for this season. The first Express Passes were captured by Nancy and Mel, Anna and Todd and Mar and Leanne, and it was also the first non-Elimination Leg, saving Zainab and Monica from a trip home.

This week the teams headed back to British Columbia and Salt Spring Island’s thriving art scene. Todd and Anna departed first and were feeling confident thanks to their Express Pass. Akash and Joseph, who thought they’d missed the airport in Dawson City, were the first out of the terminal in Vancouver and off to the harbour airport for the quick jaunt to the island. No more flights were going out that night but the two friends were booked for the first one the next morning. Could they turn their luck around this Leg?

I was a little jealous each team had to consume two blueberry pies because they sure looked good. But before Zainab and Monica could chow down they had a Speed Bump to contend with. That involved correctly identifying different kinds of fleur de sel. Because of the editing, it’s hard to tell how long it took them to complete the extra task, but it sure looked like they did it quickly, and using smell alone. Akash and Joseph were the first to finish their pie (Joseph looked like he was going to throw up) and darted to their Chevrolet for an exit. Todd and Anna and Leanne and Mar opted to forgo their pies and used their Express Passes. I think I’d have saved them, but I wasn’t there eating a pie and wondering if I’d ever finish it. Mel and Nancy refused to use their Express Pass, putting them in last place.

Mount Erskine Provincial Park was the next destination and clues behind one of three pint-sized fairy doors. Akash and Joseph teamed with Todd and Anna to find the clues. The weird thing was that, despite the team play, they really couldn’t help each other. You either found a clue card or you didn’t. Akash and Joseph did and grabbed a ferry to Crofton and the Road Block. Because the ferry was small, it potentially meant several trips would be needed to get all of the teams across and a levelling of the playing field. That was integral to Mel and Nancy—who used their Express Pass to skip the fairy door search—and Dylan and Kwame staying in the Race. I can’t remember the last time all of the Express Passes were used in the same Leg.

Next up? A little driving behind the wheel of a Corvette in under three minutes without exceeding 80 km per hour. Todd nailed it, in the rain, his first time and he and Anna left in first place in favour of some quality time with raptors. Courtney the RCMP officer aced her track time but Courtney the nurse did not. Leanne got a green light, as did Joseph. In the end, Nancy and Courtney were the last ones to complete the car test. It’s easy to get down on yourself like Courtney did; kudos to Adam for being supportive.

Meanwhile, Todd and Anna picked up their next Road Block and attempted to tie a knot to hold a bird of prey onto their glove. With teams appearing and taking a shot at the knot, Mar came to Anna’s rescue. Taylor was the first to finish, on his fifth try, and the RCMP officers were off to find Jon on the mat at the Kinsol Trestle Bridge. Leanne and Mar were hot on their tail followed by Anna and Todd. Adam simply nailed the raptor knot in his first try and vaulted he and Courtney into sixth place with Dylan and Kwame in the fifth spot.

Sadly, the knot was Akash’s undoing; he and Joseph were the last team to arrive and were eliminated from the Race. What did you think of this latest episode? Who do you think has the best chance of winning? Would you have used your Express Pass or kept eating the pie? Let me know in the comments below.

Here’s how the teams finished this Leg of the Race:

1. Courtney and Taylor (trip for two to Boston)
2. Anna and Todd
3. Leanne and Mar
4. Martina and Phil
5. Dylan and Kwame
6. Courtney and Adam
7. Zainab and Monica
8. Nancy and Mel
9. Akash and Joseph (eliminated)

The Amazing Race Canada airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. MT on CTV.

Still smarting after seeing Chewy and Happy eliminated so early on The Amazing Race Canada, I hoped my remaining favourite teams would stick around a little longer, and perhaps win the whole shebang.

Leanne and Mar, who placed first last week and scored a trip for two to Tokyo, tore open the Route Info envelope and revealed the remaining teams were headed to Dawson City, Yukon. Not only would the Leg celebrate the gold rush but three Express Passes were available, meaning some pairs would have a distinct advantage over others and possible partnerships were in play.

Martina and Phil proved to not only be a savvy team but thoughtful too. Realizing they were faster if Phil carried all their gear, they put everything in his knapsack … and gave hers away to someone in need. How can you not cheer for a team who does that? Meanwhile,  Akash and Joseph seemed determined to turn their luck around.

Everyone was on the same plane, so who got into their sponsored vehicle first was key. Well, that and the speed to set up a Woods-themed campsite. The duo to manage that would score $5,000 from the tent company. Todd and Anna led the charge to the mining camp followed by three teams. Courtney and Adam were confident their outdoor background would serve them well. As for Akash and Joseph? They forgot their tent back at the airport. Todd and Anna completed the task first, collecting the next clue and $5,000. Kwame and Dylan were done next, followed by lovebirds Courtney and Adam and Mellisa and Nancy.

A modern-day gold rush experience was next, as teams used GPS to navigate to nine locations in Dawson City, collect five gold coins and return them to the bank to cash in their next clue. Of the remaining four locations were three Express Passes. Nancy and Mel snagged the first Express Pass. Anna and Todd’s strong effort was paid off when they got the second Express Pass and were first to cash in their coins. I have a feeling Anna and Todd are going to be sneaky tough this season. A flurry of gold coin-carrying teams rolled through the test. And Mar and Leanne’s perseverance paid off when a long walk netted them the final Express Pass.

A Detour had squads choosing between dealing blackjack or dancing the can-can on stage in burlesque costumes. (I would have done the latter.) Anna and Todd opted for blackjack and he sped through his half thanks to playing online and with his friends. Anna’s math skills let her down the first time but she succeeded in try No. 2. Courtney and Adam chose to dance, meaning he had to squeeze into an orange and black outfit. He was, predictably, terrible and the smooching twosome switched challenges.

The Leg’s Pit Stop was located at the top of Midnight Dome where Jon welcomed Todd and Anna and awarded them with a trip to France. A flurry of kicking legs and dealt cards followed as the rest of the teams checked in, with Mellisa and Nancy coming on strong, followed by Taylor and Courtney, Mar and Leanne and the rest. Zainab and Monica just couldn’t get out of their funk and arrived on the mat in last place … only to be informed this was a non-elimination Leg. The pair will have to complete an extra test in the next Leg and should be thanking their lucky stars the producers gave them a break so early in the season.

Who do you think has the best chance to win this season? Who are your favourite teams? Let me know in the comments below.

Here’s how the teams finished this Leg of the Race:

1. Todd and Anna (Express Pass and won a trip for two to the south of France)
2. Nancy and Mellisa (Express Pass)
3. Taylor and Courtney
4. Mar and Leanne (Express Pass)
5. Dylan and Kwame
6. Martina and Phil
7. Adam and Courtney
8. Joseph and Akash
9. Zainab and Monica (non-elimination Leg)

The Amazing Race Canada airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. MT on CTV.