Wade on Birmingham

Simply Amazing: Curry-up offense

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The trek across Asia continued in tonight’s episode of “The Amazing Race.” Seven teams flew to India to wrestle gators and take driving lessons.

Friends Karlyn Harris and Lyn Turk of Birmingham have aligned with two other teams, but is the “Back Pack” keeping them from frontrunner status?

amazing race

Lyn, left, and Karlyn check out Chennai while racing to the Pit Stop.

Highlights from the fifth leg of the series …

Route: Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, to Chennai, India.

The disoriented express: The teams share a morning train ride from Ha Long Bay to Hanoi, as (ex-)junkie models Tyler and James reminisce about shooting smack in dark alleys. Tyler explains that he lost his dad at age 15, leading to his drug use. Apparently the 12th step is to get high on reality TV.

Erwin reminds us that he and Godwin (the Cho bros), David and Mary (Team Kentucky) and Team Birmingham are working together, the so-called “Back Pack.” During the ride, they share info on travel agencies to visit in Hanoi.

Meanwhile, Peter the peter hooks up with the beauty queens Dustin and Kandice to visit his hand-picked travel agent. They don’t trust him or his plan (foreshadowing!).

Peter keeps walking by Team Birmingham and the Chos, saying/taunting he knows the best travel agent. Lyn shoots back, “I’m not gonna beg you for nothing, because I don’t need you for anything.”

Godwin pretends to call an agent to book airline tickets to India (acting!), prompting Peter to borrow a phone and make a real reservation. Oops.

The crack pack: The Chos tell Peter and Sarah and the blondies about the Back Pack’s flight plans. So much for sticking together.

Then at the Delhi airport, Team Birmingham and Team Kentucky learn their fate. Karlyn and Lyn will be on the flight with other teams, while David and Mary are stuck on the last flight.

Worst alliance ever.

And yes, Peter pisses off the blondies, who say the mini-alliance is over.

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The Chos, left, and Team Birmingham try a little art on the rocks.

Chomping at the bit: Once in Chennai, the Chos and Team Birmingham reach the the Detour together, but behind Peter and Sarah and the beauty queens. The task: tie down a gator for transport or re-create a complex art design with colored rice powder. Karyln says she doesn’t want to wrestle an alligator (foreshadowing!).

They walk over to try the arts and craft project, but Karlyn says, “Shoot, we might need to go and wrestle that alli-crocodile.” Both teams abandon the task to head to the gator pits, but losing precious time in the flip-flop.

The Chos speed through, but Lyn gets hung up briefly trying to hop the wall. Still, they catch up with third-place team Rob and Kimberly at the bus stop.

Death race 2006: After a quick bus ride, Rob and Kimberly take a cab, leaping ahead of the Chos and Team Birmingham who hoof it (why? why?) to the Roadblock. A team member must take a class, then drive (on the left) on the chaotic streets with an instructor to earn an Indian driving license. Godwin and Lyn are all fast and furious, and like the gator task, survive with limbs intact.

Pit check: Karlyn and Lyn finish fifth out of seven teams remaining. Three-legged wonders Peter and Sarah are first. And David and Mary are last, but … it’s a pre-determined non-elimination round. Unlike previous seasons, the pair will not forfeit their stuff.

However, host Phil Keoghan has a new challenge: If Team Kentucky doesn’t finish first on the next leg, the pair will have a potentially fatal 30-minute penalty before checking in at the mat.

“The Amazing Race” airs at 7 p.m. Sundays on CBS 42.

Next episode: Kandice calls Team Birmingham “sistas being big pigs.” Oh no, she did not just say that. Plus, robot jockey camel racing. Oh yes.

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Pit stop: more “Amazing Race” coverage.

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