'The Amazing Race' ousts Jessica Hoel and John Erck with Express Pass in hand

The Amazing Race eliminated Racers Jessica Hoel and John Erck during Sunday night's fourth broadcast of the CBS reality competition's 22nd season.


The "Dating Couple" became the third team eliminated from the around-the-world competition after they arrived at the Race's third Pit Stop near Uluwatu Surf Beach in last place upon completion of a super-leg in which they had checked in with The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan halfway through but did not experience a rest period of any kind.

In a The Amazing Race first, Jessica and John were ousted with an Express Pass in their possession.

The fourth episode of The Amazing Race's 22nd edition picked up right where last week's broadcast had left off, with the Race's nine remaining teams checking in with Phil halfway through the super-leg one by one and discovering they must keep racing. 

"Father and Son" David O'Leary and Connor O'Leary arrived at Terrace Downs, a world renowned adventure retreat, in first place. Their next clue instructed them to fly over 4,000 miles to Bali, Indonesia, and upon landing, make their way to Monkey Forest -- where a monkey would reveal their next clue by biting open a coconut with it inside.


Dave, who had torn his Achilles tendon and was wearing a big boot, didn't want to give up although he had never envisioned competing on The Amazing Race with a hurt ankle.

Jessica and John then arrived at the third Pit Stop in second place. They were then followed by "Hockey Brothers" Bates Battaglia and Anthony Battaglia in third, "Best Friends" Pamela Chien and Winnie Sung in fourth, "Friends and YouTube Hosts" Joey Graceffa and Meghan Camarena in fifth, and "Friends and Country Singers" Caroline Cutbirth and Jennifer Kuhle in sixth.

"Roller Derby Moms" Mona Egender and Beth Bandimere then met Phil in seventh place and "Newlyweds" Max Bichler and Katie Bichler arrived at the Pit Stop mat in eighth. "Married Couple" Chuck McCall and Wynona McCall finished the super-leg in ninth -- and last -- place. However, Chuck and Wynona were not eliminated and were told to keep racing.

All the teams then tried to quickly book seats on the fastest and earliest flight into Bali. The best flight connected in Perth and landed in Bali at 8:36AM. Dave and Connor, Caroline and Jennifer, Max and Katie, and Pam and Winnie secured tickets for that flight.

The second available flight connected in Singapore and was scheduled to arrive in Bali at 12:05PM. On that flight were Joey and Meghan and Jessica and John. However, once in Singapore, the two teams found a quicker flight that arrived in Bali at 10:35AM.


The third flight was scheduled to arrive in Bali at 12:05PM as well, but because Joey and Meghan and Jessica and John found that flight landing at 10:35AM, Mona and Beth, Bates and Anthony and Chuck and Wynona arrived in Bali last after connecting in Kuala Lumpur.

On the way to Monkey Forest, Bates and Anthony got lost.

The first team to retrieve their clue from the coconut was Dave and Connor. They were then followed by Max and Katie, Pam and Winnie, Caroline and Jennifer, Jessica and John, Joey and Meghan, Chuck and Wynona, Mona and Beth, and Bates and Anthony.

Upon earning their next clue, the teams learned they must complete one of two Detour tasks: "Sandy Bottom" or "Fruity Top."

"Sandy Bottom" required the teams to collect sand from the bottom of a river and transport it uphill 200 yards to the brickmaker by carrying it in a basket on their heads. Once they filled a container to the designated line, the brickmaker would hand them their next clue.


"Fruity Top" required the teams to prepare an elaborate religious offering with fruit and sticks. When complete, they had to carry the heavy piece in a traditional manner to a temple and place it down properly. After it was blessed by a priest, they'd receive their next clue.

Jessica and John accidentally began making something random in someone's backyard. After discovering they were in the wrong location, they laughed it off and scurried to the actual Detour task.

Mona and Beth opted to do the "Sandy Bottom" task while every other team attempted the "Fruity Top" one.

Bates and Anthony wanted to do the sand task originally but their taxi driver only knew where the destination of the fruit task was, so they decided it would be smart to just try that one instead.

Jessica and John ended up struggling with the fruit task because their final creation wasn't approved, so they had to start over. Jessica suggested they should use their Express Pass, assuming they were in last place, but John didn't want to. As a result, the pair switched Detour tasks and attempted the "Sandy Bottom" one instead.


Pam and Winnie were the first team to complete the Detour task, and they were soon followed by Dave and Connor, Max and Katie, Caroline and Jennifer, Joey and Meghan, Mona and Beth, Chuck and Wynona, Bates and Anthony, and eventually Jessica and John.

The teams' next set of clues instructed them to make their way to Uluwatu Surf Beach on the Bukit peninsula and search for their next clue.

Joey and Meghan went to the wrong beach at first but ended up getting back on track.

Pam and Winnie were the first team to make it to the surf beach. They were then followed by Dave and Connor, Max and Katie, Caroline and Jennifer, Chuck and Wynona, Joey and Meghan, Mona and Beth, Bates and Anthony, and finally Jessica and John.

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


For the Roadblock, the team members had to find a surf shop and search for a specific surfboard with an image they've seen before. Unbeknownst to them, it was a photo of the Tahitian priest who had blessed them in Bora Bora. Once they believed they had selected the correct surfboard, they had to pick up their partner and run to the Pit Stop nearby.

In order to officially check in to the Pit Stop, the teams had to have the right board. If not, they'd be forced to run all the way back to the surf shop and try again.

Winnie took on the Roadblock task for her team in addition to Connor, Max, Caroline, Chuck, Joey, Mona, Bates and John.

Winnie found the correct surfboard on her first attempt but couldn't find Phil at the Pit Stop. She then ran back to the shop and found Connor, who asked her if she believed she had found the right surfboard. After she assured him she had, he sneakily took a peek at her board because he didn't know what he was looking for. Connor then copied her, selected the correct board with the priest on it and ran to the Pit Stop. 

As a result, Dave and Connor arrived at the Pit Stop mat and met Phil in first place. For finishing the super-leg before any of the other teams, the guys won $5,000 each.

Phil was shocked the "Father and Son" team were so successful in the Race thus far because of Dave's leg. The guys joked they'd continue the Race "one leg at a time on one leg."


Pam and Winnie then finished in second place and Max and Katie subsequently arrived in third.

Caroline and Jennifer met Phil next but couldn't check in because Caroline had retrieved the wrong board. It then happened to the girls again and Caroline broke down and cried in frustration. On their third attempt, an exhausted Caroline just guessed and ended up getting it right. At that point, they were able to officially check in as team No. 4.

Meanwhile, Chuck couldn't find Phil and Bates was looking through the surfboards to find the right one. At one point, Bates actually looked directly at the correct board, thinking it was the right one, but kept looking for something else. He also ended up having trouble finding Phil. A couple teams eventually ran right by Bates with their boards and he continued in the opposite direction instead of following them.

Joey and Meghan then officially checked in as team number No. 5.

Mona and Beth then met Phil but brought the wrong board. However, their alliance members Joey and Meghan showed the team their board, so Mona and Beth were thankful because they knew what to retrieve. Mona and Beth then secured sixth place.

Chuck and Wynona made it to the Pit Stop mat next but couldn't check in. Chuck then ran back to get a different board but no one helped them out.


Bates and Anthony then finished in seventh place and they were soon followed by Chuck and Wynona -- the eighth-place team.
   
Meanwhile, John kept at the Roadblock task even though he was unsure of what he was looking for on the surfboards. He just didn't want to give up even though he and Jessica had won an Express Pass. Jessica warned him that she was pretty sure all the other teams had already arrived at the Pit Stop, but John still refused to use the pass.
   
After an hour and 15 minutes of looking through surfboards, Jessica and John finally arrived in ninth -- and last -- place. They were eliminated, but John expressed no regret and said he didn't need the million dollars.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski