Kindness of Strangers

Kindness of Strangers is the season premiere of The Amazing Race 19.

Story[]

Route Markers[]

The race begins at Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights, California, United States.

Teams must search through hundreds of oil-paper umbrellas for one with the correct set of letters ("TAI") that, when combined twice to six other letters ("WANPEI"), would reveal their first destination, Taipei, Taiwan, and present the correct umbrella to host Phil Keoghan. If correct, he will give them keys to one of 11 Ford Explorers parked outside the temple, inside which they would find their first clue. The last team to complete the task will be penalized with the Hazard.

The order when teams found their umbrella are as follows:

For coming in last place, Kaylani & Lisa were penalized with the Hazard.

Teams must fly to Taipei, Taiwan. The first flight, China Airlines, could carry eight teams and departs 20 minutes ahead of the second flight, EVA Air. Upon arrival, teams must take a bus to the Ximending Commercial District, where teams were instructed to "look up", leaving them to figure out that their next clue was written on an electronic billboard with yellow and red balloons on the screen. On the billboard was the name of their next destination, the Taipei Confucius Temple, written in Chinese characters (台北孔廟).

"Confucius says, "Who's ready to play telephone?""

The team member assigned to perform this Roadblock must locate a nearby payphone on the temple grounds, which they must use to call a particular phone number. The person on the other end would then give them one of Confucius' proverbs, In all things success depends on previous preparation, and without such previous preparation there is sure to be failure. Without writing down the proverb, they must then repeat it verbatim to a temple monk to receive their next clue. If they are incorrect, they must call the number again to make another attempt.

The Roadblock performers per team are underlined:

After completing the Roadblock at Taipei Confucius Temple, Kaylani & Lisa would receive their clue for their Hazard. Kaylani & Lisa must take a taxi to the Core Pacific City Mall, where one team member must perform an indoor bungee jump from the eleventh floor before being allowed to continue. Kaylani performed this task.

Teams must take a taxi to Dajia Riverside Park and search under the bridge to find their next clue.

Teams must join a dragon boat race team, with one team member keeping pace by beating a drum, while the other team member joined the paddling crew. Once they have completed a course along the Keelung River, they would receive their next clue.

Teams must take a taxi to the Martyrs' Shrine to check in.

For coming in first place, Ernie & Cindy won the Express Pass.

For coming in last place, Bill & Cathi will have to perform a Speed Bump at some point during the next leg of the race.

Leaderboard[]

Legend:
First Place • Eliminated • Last placer on a Non-Elimination Leg or continue racing on a No-Rest Leg • Season winner • Season 2nd place • Season 3rd place • ϵ Used the Express Pass• ⊂ User of the first Double U-Turn slot • ⊃ Recipient of the first Double U-Turn slot • ⋐ User of the second Double U-Turn slot • ⋑ Recipient of the second Double U-Turn slot• H Was penalized with a Hazard

1st place Ernie & Cindy Engaged	2nd place Jeremy & Sandy Dating	3rd place Justin & Jennifer Siblings	4th place Ethan & Jenna Dating	5th place Amani & Marcus Married
6th place Laurence & Zac Father/Son Adventurers	7th place Andy & Tommy Pro Snowboarders	8th place Ron & Bill Domestic Partners	9th placeH Kaylani & Lisa Former Vegas Showgirls	10th place Liz & Marie Twins
11th place Bill & Cathi Grandparents

Trivia[]

This episode marks the first, and so far only, appearance of the Hazard.
This episode ties with "They Thought Godzilla Was Walking Down the Street", "Head Down and Hold On", and "I Should've Been a Boy Scout" for the earliest Non-Elimination Leg in the American version.
- This is the first "true" Non-Elimination Leg to occur in the first leg, as the previous two occurrences were a Surprise Elimination at the Starting Line in The Amazing Race 15 and a No-Rest Leg in The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business respectively.
The episode title is said by Kaylani Paliotta.

Reception[]

Andy Dehnart at realityblurred (09/26/2011): "The Amazing Race overcompensates with its dumb ending, twists, clues"

References[]

The Amazing Race 19 Episodes
"Kindness of Strangers" · "The Sprint of Our Life" · "Don't Lay Down on Me Now!" · "This Is Gonna Be a Fine Mess" · "I Feel Like I'm in the Circus" · "We Love Your Country Already; It Is Very Spacious" · "Move Goat" · "Super Shady" · "It's Speedo Time" · "Release the Brake!" · "We Are Charlie Chaplin" · "Go Out and Get It Done"