The season premiere of The Amazing Race airs tonight on CBS. Below is a live recap of the first leg, featuring the new twist that will affect every leg this season.
This season introduces a fresh element: every leg will include a new twist. Alongside familiar game mechanics like the U-Turn and Fast Forward, the race will test teams with new surprises. The cast gathers at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, where host Phil Keoghan explains the opening twist and sends teams off on the first leg.
Among the teams are brothers Nick & Mike (longtime applicants), gamer friends Carson & Jack, father-and-son lumberjacks Pops & Jeff, and married parents Scott & Lori with eight children. Other teams include married performers Jonathan & Ana, best friends Bernie & Carrigain, dating nurses Courtney & Jasmin, and several more who bring a wide range of backgrounds to the Race.
Jeff introduces the Fork in the Road twist: there will be two simultaneous routes each leg, and two separate eliminations. After Phil says “travel safe,” the teams open their first clues and learn they must fly to Hong Kong, China for the opening leg.
Flights split the field. Jonathan & Ana, Carson & Jack, Melinda & Erika, and Courtney & Jasmin catch the first plane; the rest board a later flight. Once in Hong Kong, all teams head to the Tian Tan Buddha for the next clue. Jonathan & Ana and Carson & Jack arrive first and are directed onward to Cheung Chau Island.
The earlier flight teams gain an early edge: Jonathan & Ana make the first ferry and open up about a half-hour lead. The episode reveals Jonathan & Ana’s backstory: their marriage nearly ended but participating in The Amazing Race helped reunite them after a period of separation.
At Cheung Chau Island the first Roadblock requires one teammate to climb a bamboo tower to retrieve a clue. Ana elects to do the Roadblock despite rainy conditions and finishes before any other teams arrive. Most other teams secure tickets on the next ferry, while sisters Jackye & Lauren are left to ride the final ferry alone.
With the Roadblock complete, teams proceed to Lok Kwan Street Park where they must choose between the Sing route or the Dance route at the Fork in the Road. Each route accommodates seven teams. The Dance detour requires learning a choreographed routine while inside a lion costume; the Sing detour asks teams to perform lines from a Cantonese opera.
Teams make their choices in arrival order: Nick & Mike choose Dance; Carson & Jack choose Dance; Alyssa & Josiah choose Sing; Ernest & Bridget choose Dance; Bernie & Carrigain choose Dance; Han & Holden choose Sing; Mark & Larry choose Dance; Jonathan & Ana choose Sing; Brett & Mark choose Dance; Melinda & Erika choose Sing; Pops & Jeff choose Sing; and Scott & Lori choose Sing. Courtney & Jasmin struggle to find a taxi due to a language barrier, and Jackye & Lauren remain on the last ferry.
Errors and retries define much of the Detour. Several teams fail initial attempts at their chosen tasks—Alyssa & Josiah miss their first Sing attempt, and multiple Dance teams require several tries to nail the choreography. Carson & Jack succeed after several attempts and race toward the Pit Stop at the West Kowloon Cultural District, eventually taking the lead for the Dance route.
Carson & Jack arrive at the Pit Stop first and claim Team #1 for the leg, each winning $3,000. Brett & Mark follow to place second. On the Sing route, Alyssa & Josiah finish first among Sing teams and also collect the $3,000 prize. As the leg progresses, teams jockey for position in a close finish between several teams completing the Dance detour.
A tight sprint at the end of the Dance route results in Nick & Mike and Courtney & Jasmin crossing together, taking fifth and sixth respectively. Mark & Larry arrive moments later and are eliminated from the Race.
On the Sing route, Pops & Jeff, Han & Holden, Scott & Lori, and Melinda & Erika complete their tasks, though Melinda & Erika get lost en route to the Pit Stop. Jackye & Lauren, who arrived late to the ferry and were assigned Sing by default, finish last for the leg and are eliminated.
EPISODE SUMMARY
Dance Route
1st place: Carson & Jack
2nd place: Brett & Mark
3rd place: Ernest & Bridget
4th place: Bernie & Carrigain
5th place: Nick & Mike
6th place: Courtney & Jasmin
Eliminated: Mark & Larry
Sing Route
1st place: Alyssa & Josiah
2nd place: Jonathan & Ana
3rd place: Scott & Lori
4th place: Pops & Jeff
5th place: Han & Holden
6th place: Melinda & Erika
Eliminated: Jackye & Lauren
That wraps up tonight’s episode of The Amazing Race. The new Fork in the Road twist created early splits and strategic choices that shaped two separate eliminations. Check back next week for another live recap of the race as teams continue their journey.