Tonight’s new episode of The Amazing Race 36 aired on CBS. Below is a concise, scene-by-scene recap of the leg that began in Santiago, Chile, where teams faced a mix of navigation, assembly and climbing challenges as they raced toward the Pit Stop at Estación Mapocho.
The leg opened with Ricky & Cesar and Amber & Vinny leaving first. Their first clue sent everyone to find Marilyn Monroe’s 1956 Ford Thunderbird, parked at Argomedo Performance Garage. Ricky & Cesar expressed confidence and hoped to stay ahead of the pack.
Angie & Danny, Juan & Shane, and Rod & Leticia departed in the next wave. June & Shane welcomed a self-driving leg and felt reassured by having a map. Angie & Danny were pleased to be toward the front, while Rod & Leticia planned to enjoy the day despite the pressure to navigate accurately.
As teams made their way, several driving and route-choice issues emerged. Yvonne & Melissa reflected on choosing weaker Detour options earlier in the race. Kishori & Karishma struggled with a stick-shift rental. Derek & Shelisa acknowledged their in-race bickering is part of how they motivate each other. Ricky & Cesar briefly panicked after feeling lost, while Amber and Vinny argued over navigation and composure under pressure.
Ricky & Cesar arrived at the Thunderbird first and picked up a clue directing them to Skatepark Parque Araucano. Before leaving, Danny offered to help Rod & Leticia with directions, a gesture that created tension when Angie preferred to keep help limited to themselves. At Skatepark Parque Araucano the next challenge was revealed: a Roadblock where one teammate must assemble a skateboard to match a model, and a Detour offering two choices — Perform for Pesos or Climb for Clues.
Danny volunteered for the Roadblock for Angie & Danny. Cesar took on the Roadblock for Ricky & Cesar. Other teams arrived with mixed results: Rod & Leticia and Juan & Shane jumped a fence to gain an early lead but encountered issues assembling correctly, including a lost nut and incorrect wheel colors that needed fixing before a board could be approved.
Teams filtered through the Roadblock at varying paces. Vinny completed his Roadblock and chose the Climb for Clues Detour with Amber, while Ricky later finished his Roadblock and moved on to Perform for Pesos with Cesar. Derek, Shelisa, Melissa and Karishma tackled the skateboard assembly as well, and Sunny & Bizzy struggled with navigation early on and fell behind.
The Detour options required different skill sets. Perform for Pesos tasked one teammate to act as a one-person street performer while the partner played maracas; teams needed to earn 2,500 pesos from passersby to receive the next clue. Climb for Clues required climbers to scale a six-story wall and collect ribbons at the top. Angie & Danny opted to perform for pesos, while several other teams chose to climb.
Route-finding continued to shake up positions. Rod & Leticia mistakenly drove toward the mountains before returning to the city, costing time. Juan & Shane reached the climbing Detour first, followed closely by Amber & Vinny. Ricky & Cesar gathered the required pesos and were cleared to head to the Pit Stop. Juan & Shane completed their climb and also departed for Estación Mapocho.
On the street, teams collected coins and encouraged or frustrated each other. Amber received vocal support from Vinny while finishing the climb; she told him to quiet down so she could concentrate. Rod ultimately found success collecting pesos after switching roles with Leticia, who initially approached locals more tentatively. Angie & Danny completed their performance and moved on as well.
Ricky & Cesar reached the Pit Stop first and claimed the leg victory. They were announced as Team #1 and won Expedia OneKeyCash toward a trip to Singapore. Juan & Shane arrived shortly after and finished in second place, celebrating a strong leg. Amber & Vinny checked in as Team #3, followed by Angie & Danny as Team #4 and Rod & Leticia as Team #5.
Sunny & Bizzy ultimately completed the Roadblock and joined the teams heading for the Detour. Melissa finished her Roadblock and then teamed with Yvonne for the climb. Derek & Shelisa wrapped their Roadblock next and chose to climb as well. Teams filtered through the climb with varying degrees of confidence—Kishori battled anxiety about heights but pushed on with Karishma’s encouragement.
Yvonne & Melissa arrived at the Pit Stop as Team #6. Sunny & Bizzy completed the Detour quickly and were announced as Team #7. The final two teams were Derek & Shelisa and Kishori & Karishma. Derek & Shelisa dealt with confusing directions that set them back, while Kishori & Karishma picked up pace but remained behind.
Derek & Shelisa checked in as Team #8. Kishori & Karishma arrived last and were eliminated from the race. The pair expressed pride in how far they’d come despite the exit, with Karishma acknowledging their best effort and Kishori reflecting on their personal growth.
Episode Summary
1st place: Ricky & Cesar
2nd place: Juan & Shane
3rd place: Amber & Vinny
4th place: Angie & Danny
5th place: Rod & Leticia
6th place: Yvonne & Melissa
7th place: Sunny & Bizzy
8th place: Derek & Shelisa
Eliminated: Kishori & Karishma
That concludes this episode’s recap of The Amazing Race 36 in Santiago. The leg highlighted the importance of steady navigation, communication under pressure, and adapting quickly to each task—elements that continue to shape the standings as the race moves forward. Check back next week for another episode recap.