Although they gave it their best try, Lorena Segura and Jason Widener failed to overcome the deficit they incurred during the previous leg, leading the dating couple from Sherman Oaks, CA to become the fourth team eliminated from The Amazing Race's twelfth season during last night's broadcast of the CBS reality series.
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"Marriage is definitely something that's important to me," said Lorena after her team's ouster. "But now coming to the race and seeing other things that are so much more valuable, I don't have to do it now. I can take it slower. I don't have to be in a rush all the time."
"I love Lorena no matter what happens," said Jason. "I just think there's some kind of confinement within a marriage that I think you can't have when you're just free. When two people are both free, I think you experience a deeper love because I feel like we're in it because we want to stay in it."
The Amazing Race 12's fourth episode began with the eight remaining teams leaving the outskirts of Bingo in Burkina Faso, West Africa, which served as the Pit Stop for the third leg of the competition. Each of the remaining teams had a mandatory rest period at the Pit Stop.
"Brother/Sister" team Azaria and Hendekea Azene -- the first team to reach the race's third Pit Stop -- were the first to depart at 7:58AM. Azaria and Hendekea opened their clue, which instructed them to follow a marked path to a nearby village. Once there, they had to search for the village's tribal chief who would give them their next clue and a customary gift of generosity.
The gift given by the tribal chief was a chicken, which each of the eight remaining teams would have to carry with them in a sack for them remainder of the fourth leg as a "sign of respect" for the chief. Azaria and Hendekea also received their next clue, which informed them to travel approximately 100 miles by taxi to the town of Beunda Pelegtango. Once there, they'd search for their next clue.
The next five teams left the third leg's Pit Stop at one-minute intervals beginning at 8:12AM in the following order: "Newly Dating Couple" Rachel Rosales and TK Erwin; "Dating Couple" Jennifer Parker and Nathan Hagstrom; Dating Goths" Kynt Cothron and Vyxsin Fiala; "Father/Daughter" team Ronald and Christina Hsu; and "Grandfather/Grandson" team Donald Jerousek and Nicolas Fulks. All five of the teams grabbed their chickens and hailed a cab hot on Azaria and Hendekea's heels.
"Friends" Shana Wall and Jennifer McCall left the Pit Stop at 8:38AM and decided to name their chicken Phil because of its similar hairdo to The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan. Jason and Lorena were the last team to leave the Pit Stop, departing at 10:07AM.
"Hopefully everybody starts making mistakes and we don't make any," commented Jason.
Azaria and Hendekea were the first team to arrive in Beunda Pelegtango -- however as soon as their taxi came to a stop in the town -- Hendekea immediately started to search for a bathroom instead of the next clue. Nathan and Jennifer passed Azaria and Hendekea and found the clue, which was a Detour and had each of the teams choosing between "Shake Your Pan" or "Shake Your Booty."
In "Shake Your Pan," teams would have to select a gold-mining pit and use local mining methods to mine at least one-ounce of gold, which they would then trade for their next clue. The task was physically demanding, however success was measured objectively by weight.
In "Shake Your Booty," teams would have to learn a traditional local dance, which they would then have to perform for a panel of local celebrities. In addition, teams would have to include their own creative portion for the routine. If the judges were impressed, they would award the team with their next clue. But if the judges weren't impressed, the teams would incur a 10-minute penalty before receiving their next clue. The task wasn't physically demanding, but the judging was subjective.
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Nathan and Jennifer, TK and Rachel, and Azaria and Hendekea all decided to try "Shake Your Booty." Nathan and Jennifer were the first team to learn the tribal dance, however once they performed it the judging panel thought it lacked creativity, which left Jennifer "really disappointed" since she was a member of the Los Angeles Clippers Spirit dance team.
The team incurred a 10-minute penalty and scared TK and Rachel away from the Detour challenge, as they changed their mind and instead decided to do "Shake Your Pan."
On their way to Beunda Pelegtango, Kynt and Vyxsin saw their cab passed by both Nick and Donald and Ron and Christina, which didn't sit too well with Kynt. However all three teams eventually arrived at the town, with Nick and Donald deciding to try "Shake Your Pan" while Ronald and Christina and Kynt and Vyxsin tried "Shake Your Booty." TK and Rachel had further problems when they had a hard time finding the "Shake Your Pan" challenge after switching.
Azaria and Hendekea were the first to successfully complete the Detour challenge, as Nathan and Jennifer still had five minutes left on their penalty. The next clue instructed Azaria and Hendekea to make their way by foot through the village and find Pelegtango Market, where they'd receive their next clue and encounter a new The Amazing Race course obstacle: a U-Turn.
Similar to the Yield obstacle that was first introduced during The Amazing Race's fifth season, a U-Turn allows a team to decide whether they want to put some additional distance between a trailing team and themselves. However unlike a Yield -- which could appear at any time and featured an hourglass that forced the yielded team to wait a fixed period of time before resuming racing -- a U-Turn appears after a Detour task and requires the targeted team to backtrack and complete the other Detour task that they did not previously complete.
Like the Yield, each U-Turn obstacle can only be used by one team, and each team can only use a U-Turn once during the entire race. The Amazing Race 12 will feature two U-Turns.
Nathan and Jennifer's penalty then expired and they traveled to the market behind Azaria and Hendekea. Both teams chose not to use the U-Turn. The next clue instructed them to travel by taxi to the outskirts of Ouagadougou, where they'd find their next clue at a goat market.
Just as TK and Rachel finally got their bearing and found the "Shake Your Pan" challenge, Nick and Donald were finishing up. Meanwhile back at the "Shake Your Booty" challenge, Ronald and Christina had a similar fate as Nathan and Jennifer, with their dance lacking creativity and incurring them a 10-minute penalty. While they were serving their penalty, Shana and Jennifer arrived at the Detour and chose "Shake Your Booty" while Kynt and Vyxsin completed their dance routine and moved on.
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The two teams raced towards the market, and since Shana and Jennifer were unsure about their positioning in the leg, they decided to use the U-Turn on Jason and Lorena after seemingly confusing them with TK and Rachel. While Jennifer was remorseful about the decision, Shana showed no regrets.
"We thought we saw Jason and Lorena behind us, and not by very far," explained Shana. "We figured we were still the second to last team. [Jason and Lorena] are an extremely strong team, so we made the decision to U-Turn."
"I think it was a bad move on the blondes' part, strategically," commented TK once he was relieved that it was not his team that received the U-Turn penalty. "I think the blondes now may have a target on their backs."
With both of the teams in cabs on the way to the goat market, Jennifer was concerned that TK and Rachel were now aware who used the U-Turn. Shana assured Jennifer not to worry.
"It's not about being nice! You want to be out of the game because we're nice?!" asked Shana. "I know Jason and Lorena are going to hate us. We had no choice... It was the smartest thing to do." Jennifer told her partner that "karma's a bitch," but Shana said it's just part of the game and at this point, nobody is their friend.
Jason and Lorena arrived at the Detour and chose to do "Shake Your Booty." Following their routine, Jason commented how he felt like he was on American Idol waiting for his comments from the judges. They were positive and the two were allowed to move on, however they were quickly stopped in their tracks when they discovered the U-Turn.
"Wow... I can't believe they U-Turned us," said Jason. "The first U-Turn of the race, I just can't believe someone actually used it... We could probably catch-up with them as soon as they make a little mistake."
Azaria and Hendekea and Nathan and Jennifer were the first to arrive at the goat market, where they were met by a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one member of each team had to load a bicycle with a large amount of numerous supplies, including a live goat. Then, the participant would have to ride the bike to a market place, where they had to find a different specified vendor to deliver their supplies in exchange for their next clue.
Azaria and Jennifer decided to do the Roadblock for their respective teams, and just started to enter the market place with fully-loaded bikes when the next three teams -- Kynt and Vyxsin, Ronald and Christina, and Nick and Donald -- arrived. Vyxsin, Christina and Nick all started to load their bikes.
Azaria and Jennifer completed the Roadblock and received their next clue, which informed them to travel by taxi through the streets of Ouagadougou to find the Hotel De Ville, which would serve as the fourth leg's Pit Stop.
Just as Shana and Jennifer and TK and Rachel arrived at the goat market, Nick and Christina were embarking the market with their bikes while Vyxsin struggled to load hers up. As they watched their partners participate in the Roadblock, Jennifer and TK discussed the blondes' decision to use the U-Turn. TK said he wouldn't have used the U-Turn, and Jennifer said she wasn't too happy with Shana's decision to do so.
"Strategically, I think this was a grave mistake that we made," said Jennifer.
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Jason and Lorena completed the "Shake Your Pan" Detour challenge and started to travel to the goat market, and did their best to stay positive despite their dire situation. Nick and Christina then finished the Roadblock and embarked for the Pit Stop, and Vyxsin was right behind them after some brief difficulties.
Azaria and Hendekea were the first team to reach the Pit Stop, and did so just ahead of Nathan and Jennifer, which Jennifer described as "very frustrating." Ronald and Christina were the third team to arrive at the Pit Stop; Nick and Donald finished fourth; and Kynt and Vyxsin came in fifth.
Rachel finally delivered her goods and received the next clue, but not before pointing Shana in the right direction as to where she could deliver her goods. The move backfired on Rachel when she got lost trying to find TK so they could head to the Pit Stop.
"I have no clue where I am!" said Rachel as she stumbled around the market place.
Shana and Jennifer were the sixth team to reach the Pit Stop, followed by TK and Rachel.
"I'm still in this thing man," said Jason as he and Lorena made their way to the goat market. "I'm not giving up... There's no doubt in my mind that we're going to stay in this race."
Once they arrived at the Roadblock, the challenge was completed by Jason.
"Jason just keeps going," said an emotional Lorena. "He doesn't give up and he stays positive. It just amazes me. It makes me love him even more. I love Jason!"
Jason and Lorena then arrived at the Pit Stop, where Phil informed them they were the fourth team eliminated for The Amazing Race.
"It's totally okay baby," said Jason, trying to console Lorena. "We'll make $1 million another way, okay?"
The Amazing Race 12's next episode will air Sunday, December 2 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
