'The Amazing Race: All-Stars' eliminates "Mother and Son" team Margie O'Donnell and Luke Adams

The Amazing Race: All-Stars eliminated Margie O'Donnell and Luke Adams during Sunday night's fifth episode of the CBS reality competition's 24th overall season and third all-stars edition.


The "Mother and Son" team became the fourth team eliminated from the around-the-world competition after they arrived at the Race's fifth Pit Stop at Colombo Rowing Club in Colombo, Sri Lanka in last place.

"We're one of three teams to do The Amazing Race for a third time. It's cool," Luke, who is deaf, signed to host Phil Keoghan following his team's ouster.

"I want to thank you [mom] for everything you did for me."

"Thank you too," Margie replied. "Being on The Amazing Race with Luke three times, we have, I think, more of an appreciation for each other in how we're able to depend on each other. So that's worth more than a million dollars, and I don't think we appreciated that before."


The fifth broadcast of The Amazing Race: All-Stars began with "The Cowboy Brothers" Cord McCoy and Jet McCoy leaving the fourth Pit Stop at Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in first place at 2:26PM.

"Father and Son Cancer Survivors" David O'Leary and Connor O'Leary left in second place at 3:13PM, and "The Afghanimals" Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran departed the Pit Stop in third place at 3:40PM.

The departure times for the five other teams are as follows: "The Country Singers" Jennifer Wayne and Caroline Cutbirth at 4:10PM, "Engaged Couple" John Erck and Jessica Hoel at 4:12PM, "The Globetrotters" Herbert "Flight Time" Lang and Nate "Big Easy" Lofton at 4:40PM, Margie and Luke at 5:12PM, and finally "Newlyweds" Brendon Villegas and Rachel Reilly at 6:08PM.

The teams' first set of clues instructed them to fly over 1,500 miles to Colombo, Sri Lanka. After landing, they must find Gangaramaya, a temple for worship, and then get blessed in order to receive their next clue.

The Racers quickly learned the fastest way to Sri Lanka was a direct flight leaving the airport at 11PM that would arrive at their next destination at midnight.


Brendon and Rachel as well as Margie and Luke unfortunately couldn't book the flight, so they had to decide between waiting on standby for potential seats or taking a different connecting flight into Singapore with only a half-hour layover before the next plane to Sri Lanka took off.

Both teams took opposite routes. Margie and Luke chose to take their chances getting on the earliest flight by waiting standby whereas Brendon and Rachel decided to fly into Singapore and risk missing the connecting flight. Brendon and Rachel were well aware they'd have to run like hell after getting off their first plane.

In the end, Brendon and Rachel managed to get on their connecting flight just as the boarding gate was closing.

Margie and Luke, however, weren't so lucky. The direct flight was full so they couldn't get on it. As a result, Margie and Luke had to be patient and wait for a flight departing the following morning. They immediately regretted their choice to try to fly standby but remained optimistic about their chances in the Race.

Brendon and Rachel arrived at Gangaramaya in first place. They were then followed by Flight Time and Big Easy, Caroline and Jennifer, Leo and Jamal, Dave and Connor, Jessica and John, Jet and Cord, and eventually Margie and Luke.


Margie and Luke were so far behind the pack that when all of the rest of the teams learned the temple opened at 5:45AM and they had to wait at least four hours to begin the leg's tasks, the "Mother and Son" team were still nowhere in sight.

Once the temple opened, all the Racers dressed in proper simple attire and received their blessings one by one.

The teams then discovered they must travel to the city of Galle and take the train to the King Coconut Stand.

All the teams were racing pretty much neck-in-neck at this point except for Margie and Luke. Everyone got on the same train except for the "Mother and Son" team. While on the train, Caroline and Jennifer were trying to become best friends with Jet and Cord, whom the girls were big fans of and admired. "The Country Singers" admitted working with "The Cowboys" was their plan from the beginning.

Meanwhile, Margie and Luke were racing like they were still in it.


Dave and Connor arrived at the King Coconut Stand before any of the other teams. They were soon followed by Flight Time and Big Easy, Jet and Cord, Leo and Jamal, Jessica and John, Brendon and Rachel, Caroline and Jennifer, and finally Margie and Luke.

It then became time for the teams to complete one of two possible Detour tasks: "Fishing Pole" or "Spin Control."

"Fishing Pole" required the teams to wade into the surf and climb onto a pair of fishing stilts. Once each Racer collected his or her own fish, that team would then deliver the two fish to a hut, where a local fisherman would hand them their next clue.

"Spin Control" required the teams to learn and perform a traditional folk dance while continuing to spin a drum-like instrument which appeared to be plates balancing on sticks. A good performance would earn each team its next clue.

Dave and Connor, Jet and Cord, and Jessica and John opted to take on the fishing task.


Leo and Jamal, Brendon and Rachel, Flight Time and Big Easy, and Caroline and Jennifer were shown trying to complete the dancing task.

As for Margie and Luke, they were shown leaving what appeared to be the "Spin Control" task, however, viewers did not see the team complete a Detour task or any other future tasks. They were next seen arriving at the Pit Stop mat to meet Phil.

Other teams had better luck than Jessica and John with the fishing task, so they decided to switch Detour tasks halfway through. Jessica was worried about how John would do in "Spin Control" because she didn't think he had much skill in that area, however, it didn't take long for them to succeed.

Dave and Connor, maintaining the lead, finished the Detour in first place. They were then followed by Flight Time and Big Easy, Leo and Jamal, Jet and Cord, Caroline and Jennifer, Brendon and Rachel -- who got it right on their fourteenth attempt -- Jessica and John, and Margie and Luke.

The teams' next set of clues instructed them to make their way to the trendy connections garment factory in order to find their next clue.

Flight Time and Big Easy arrived at the garment factory in first place. They were then followed by Dave and Connor, Caroline and Jennifer, Leo and Jamal, Jet and Cord, Brendon and Rachel, and Jessica and John.


It then became time for one member of each team to complete a Roadblock task.

For the Roadblock, the Racers had to properly stitch together a shirt and then take it to a heat-transfer machine, where they'd have their next clue printed right on the front of the shirt.

Connor, Big Easy, Leo, Jet, Jennifer, Brendon, and Jessica all attempted the Roadblock task on behalf of their teams.

But Brendon could begin the Roadblock, he and Rachel had to first take on an additional Speed Bump task as a consequence for finishing the prior non-elimination leg in last place. The couple was required to apply the final layer of color to the Sri Lankan flag, and once they printed 15 perfect T's, they could continue racing.

During the Roadblock task, Jennifer and Connor worked together as allies to put their shirts together -- as did Brendon and Jessica.

Dave and Connor finished the task before any of the other teams. They were then followed by Caroline and Jennifer, Jet and Cord, Leo and Jamal, Jessica and John, Brendon and Rachel, and Flight Time and Big Easy.


The teams then learned they must make their way to Sri Lanka's premiere social club known as Colombo Rowing Club, which would serve as the Race's fifth Pit Stop.

Dave and Connor were then greeted by Phil at the Pit Stop in first place. For winning the leg, the pair walked away with $5,000 each.

Caroline and Jennifer then arrived at the Colombo Rowing Club in second place and they were soon followed by Jet and Cord in third.

Following Jet and Cord were Leo and Jamal in fourth, Jessica and John in fifth, Flight Time and Big Easy in sixth place, Brendon and Rachel in seventh place, and finally Margie and Luke in eighth -- and last -- place.

Neither Margie or Luke seemed upset about their elimination, as they both said they were just grateful for the experience and the time together.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski