The Amazing Race 20

The Amazing Race 20 is the twentieth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 20 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.

The season premiered on Sunday, February 19, 2012.^[1] It aired on CBS in the United States on Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT with the two-hour season finale on May 6, 2012. The show is hosted by Phil Keoghan.

Married Army couple Rachel and Combat Pilot Dave Brown Jr., were the winners of this season. At eight legs, they set a record on the American version of the competition for winning the most legs in a single season, and at the time were also the most successful winning team on the American edition of The Amazing Race.^[a]

Production[]

Development and filming[]

The Starting Line of The Amazing Race 20 was on the grounds of the Bridlewood Estate Winery in Santa Barbara wine country.

CBS renewed the series for its 20th season on June 16, 2011.^[4] This season spans a little over 36,000 miles (58,000 km) in twenty-two cities and five continents with first-time visits to Paraguay and Azerbaijan. It featured tasks where teams skydive in Argentina, visit a famous castle that inspired Disney in Germany, and train with Maasai warriors in Tanzania. Italy was also confirmed for this season.^[5][6][7]

Paraguayan Beauty Queen Fiorella Migliore appeared as a Pit Stop greeter during Leg 3.^[8]

Leg 8 marked the first time since the inception of the Double U-Turn twist whereas two teams (Brendon & Rachel and Vanessa & Ralph) who were subjected to a U-Turn survived elimination. Leg 10 also marked its second occurrence (after Leg 3 of Season 3) where a team (Bopper & Mark) who won the Fast Forward were also eliminated at the same leg. This season was the second time in which the teams that finished in the top three of Leg 1 also completed the entire season, after Season 1. This season also saw the return of Fast Forward, which was absent on the previous two seasons.

Casting[]

The cast includes former Big Brother contestants Brendon Villegas and Rachel Reilly as well as Major League Soccer players Elliot and Andrew Weber, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clowns Dave and Cherie Gregg,^[9] and professional golfer Maiya Tanaka who previously appeared on the Golf Channel's reality competition The Big Break.^[10] It also included a pair of federal agents (who lied to other teams by saying they were kindergarten teachers), United States Border Patrol agents, and dating divorcees.^[6]

On September 8, 2012, Brendon & Rachel were married.^[11]

Future appearances[]

Brendon & Rachel were later selected for The Amazing Race: All-Stars along with Bopper & Mark; however, Bopper was unable to compete with Mark due to signs of pancreatitis and was replaced with Mallory Ervin of Season 17 and Unfinished Business to form a composite team.^[12] Art & JJ and Rachel (from Brendon & Rachel) also returned to compete on The Amazing Race 31.^[13]

After this season, fan favorites William "Bopper" Minton & Mark Jackson were awarded a check for $10,000 from the hosts of the daytime talk show The Talk.^[14] On May 25, 2016, Bopper & Mark appeared on an Amazing Race-themed The Price is Right primetime special, while Rachel Reilly appeared the night prior on a Big Brother-themed special.^[15] On July 31, 2018, Brendon & Rachel appeared on a special Survivor vs Big Brother episode of Fear Factor and won $50,000 for UCLA Cancer Research.^[16][17] In 2019, Maiya Tanaka competed on the ABC reality show Holey Moley,^[18] while Misa competed the following year.^[19]

Results[]

The following teams participated in the season, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program.^[20] Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television due to inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:

Key

• A red team placement means the team was eliminated.
• A green ƒ indicates that the team won a Fast Forward.
• A purple ε indicates that the team decided to use the Express Pass on that leg.
• An underlined blue team's placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump during the next leg.
• A brown ⊃ or a cyan ⋑ indicates that the team chose to use one of the two U-Turns in a Double U-Turn; ⊂ or ⋐ indicates the team who received it; ^⊂
  _⋑ indicates that the team was U-Turned, but they used the second U-Turn on another team.

Notes

Episode title quotes[]

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.^[21]

1. "Tears of a Clown" – Cherie
2. "You Know I'm Not as Smart as You" – Rachel (of Brendon & Rachel)
3. "Bust Me Right in the Head With It" – Bopper
4. "Taste Your Salami" – Kerri
5. "Uglier Than a Mud Rail Fence" – Mark
6. "This Is Wicked Strange" – JJ
7. "I Didn't Make Her Cry" – Vanessa
8. "Let Them Drink Their Haterade" – Rachel (of Brendon & Rachel)
9. "Bollywood Travolta" – Art
10. "I Need Hair to Be Pretty" – Rachel (of Brendon & Rachel)
11. "It's a Great Place to Become Millionaires" – Dave (of Rachel & Dave)

Prizes[]

The prize for each leg was awarded to the first place team for that leg. Trips were provided by Travelocity. The prizes were:

• Leg 1 – The Express Pass – an item that can be used until the eighth leg to skip any one task of the team's choosing.
• Leg 2 – A trip for two to Grenada
• Leg 3 – A trip for two to the Atlantis Paradise Island in The Bahamas
• Leg 4 – US$5,000 each^[b]
• Leg 5 – A trip for two to in Thailand
• Leg 6 – A 2013 Ford Taurus SHO for each team member
• Leg 7 – A trip for two to Costa Rica
• Leg 8 – A trip for two to Hanalei Bay, Hawaii
• Leg 9 – A trip for two to Saint Lucia
• Leg 10 – US$10,000 each
• Leg 11 – A trip for two to New Zealand
• Leg 12 – US$1,000,000

Race summary[]

The route of the 20th season of The Amazing Race.

Destinations	Air travel    Rail travel    Water travel    Bus travel Helicopter travel    Bicycle travel    Gondola travel
Route Markers	Detour    Roadblock    Fast Forward    U-Turn    Speed Bump    Pit Stop
Icons placed after a location indicate the clue was picked up at this location, while icons placed before a location indicate that the clue was picked up at a prior location.

Leg 1 (United States → Argentina)[]

Teams had to prepare 120 traditional Argentinian empanadas before heading to the Pit Stop in Cafayate.

Airdate: February 19, 2012^[22]

• Santa Ynez, California, United States (Bridlewood Estate Winery) (Starting Line)
• Los Angeles (Los Angeles International Airport) to Salta, Argentina (Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport)
• Santa Bárbara (Road Sign)
• Cafayate (Aerodromo Gilberto Lavaque (in Spanish))
• Cafayate (Patios de Cafayate)

In this season's first Roadblock, the chosen team member had to use a provided map to navigate to a skydiving drop zone. Meanwhile, the non-participating team member had to board an airplane and tandem skydive to that location. Once team members were reunited, the jump master would give them their next clue.

Additional tasks

• At the Bridlewood Estate Winery, teams had to search through 100 balloons with baskets for one of eleven balloons, which contained their first clue.
• After finding a clue at the winery, teams drove a Ford Taurus to Los Angeles International Airport and had to find the American Airlines counter to get tickets to Buenos Aires' Ministro Pistarini International Airport. The first six teams were given tickets to an earlier connecting flight from Buenos Aires' Aeroparque Airport to Salta's Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport, after which they had to find a marked Ford EcoSport and drive to Santa Bárbara to find their next clue.
• At Patios de Cafayate, teams had to make 120 empanadas, 60 filled with meat and 60 filled with cheese. Teams had to notice that each type of empanada had different crimping patterns. Once the proper quantity of empanadas were made to the satisfaction of the empanada champion, teams could search the grounds for the nearby Pit Stop.

Leg 2 (Argentina)[]

Teams ended this leg at Plaza Intendente Alvear, overlooking the famous El Gomero, one of the oldest trees in Buenos Aires.

Airdate: February 26, 2012^[23]

• Cafayate (Cafayate Town Square)
• Salta (Salta Bus Terminal) to Buenos Aires (Retiro Bus Station)
• Buenos Aires (Mercado de Hacienda de Liniers (in Spanish))
• Buenos Aires (Plaza Intendente Alvear – El Gomero)

This season's first Detour was a choice between Boil My Water or Light My Fire. In Boil My Water, teams traveled to one of three nearby small villages and grabbed equipment from a pickup truck to build a solar kitchen. Once the oven was built, they had to put a kettle full of water into the middle of a dish and place the kitchen in direct sunlight. Then they had to wait for the kettle to come to a boil and whistle before the solar panel expert would give them their next clue. In Light My Fire, teams traveled to a nearby river, where they had to gather 40 pieces of firewood and clay and load it onto a donkey, then deliver their goods 1 mile (1.6 km) to a local pottery workshop called Taller "El Obelisco", where the potter would give them their next clue.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to go to a cattle auction and listen to the auctioneer give the total weight of the cattle in the pen. Teams then had to calculate the average weight of a head of cattle in the pen, without using a calculator, and give the correct number to a gaucho to receive their next clue. If the auctioneer moved onto another pen before they got the correct answer to the gaucho, they would have to start over with the next pen.

Additional tasks

• At Cafayate Town Square, teams had to wait for a chasqui, who would give them their Detour clue.
• After completing the Detour, teams had to travel by bus to the capital city of Buenos Aires to find Mercado de Hacienda de Liniers for their next clue.

Leg 3 (Argentina → Paraguay)[]

Escalinata de Antequera, underneath Monumento a los Comuneros in Asunción, Paraguay, served as the Pit Stop.

Airdate: March 4, 2012^[24]

• Buenos Aires (Ministro Pistarini International Airport) to Asunción, Paraguay (Silvio Pettirossi International Airport)
• Asunción (Metalúrgica Punta de Rieles)
• Asunción (Mercado Central de Abasto (in Spanish)) or San Lorenzo (Universidad Nacional de Asunción)
• Asunción (Plaza de la Democracia)
• Asunción (Escalinata de Antequera)

This leg's Detour was a choice between Stacked Up or Strung Out. In Stacked Up, teams had to make their way to the Mercado Central de Abasto, Paraguay's largest fruit market, and stack watermelons into a 10-by-10 pyramid to receive their next clue from the fruit monger. In Strung Out, teams traveled to an auditorium at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción, where they had to properly string a harp, Paraguay's national instrument, so that it was ready to be tuned to receive their next clue from the harp conductor.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to perform a traditional Paraguayan bottle dance, which required them to perform a choreographic routine with a glass bottle on their head without breaking the bottle to receive their next clue from the lead dancer. If the bottle broke, racers had to start over with a new bottle. For this task, each team member was given only 50 bottles, and if they broke all the bottles before completing the Roadblock, they would incur a 2-hour penalty at the Pit Stop.

Additional task

• At Metalúrgica Punta de Rieles, teams had to search the metal equipment yard for their next clue.

Additional note

• The Stacked Up Detour and the bottle dance Roadblock tasks were later revisited on the Paraguay leg of Season 32 as part of a Double Switchback Detour.

Leg 4 (Paraguay → Italy)[]

While in Turin, teams visited Mole Antonelliana, which was depicted on the Italian 2 euro cent coin.

Airdate: March 11, 2012^[25]

• Asunción (Silvio Pettirossi International Airport) to Turin, Italy (Turin Airport)
• Turin (Lingotto)
• Turin (Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile)
• Turin (Mole Antonelliana)
• Turin (L'Arte Marmi or Gastronomia Salumeria and Piazza Vittorio Veneto)
• Turin (Piazza Castello)

This season's first Fast Forward required one team member to pilot a remote controlled helicopter and land it on a replica of the Lingotto building's helipad placed on a helmet worn by their teammate to win the Fast Forward award.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to rappel 120 feet (37 m) into the spiral ramps of the Lingotto building and stop to retrieve a clue on the way down. If they did not complete the task within two minutes, the team member would have to start over.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Clean That Statue or Name That Salami. In Clean That Statue, teams had to go to L'Arte Marmi and use the equipment provided to properly clean a marble statue to receive their next clue. In Name That Salami, teams had to go to the Gastronomia Salumeria to taste and memorize the names of fourteen different kinds of salami: piccante, cacciatorino, tartufo, mucca, toscano, 'nduja, aglio, cotto, cinghiale, finocchiona, felino, noci, barolo, and mandola. They then had to travel to the Piazza Vittorio Veneto and find the designated salami vendor to correctly identify and name all fourteen types of salamis they had tasted to receive their next clue from the salumiere.

Additional task

• After completing the Roadblock, teams had to drive their Ford Focus to Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile and park in a designated spot using their car's active park feature. There, teams had to find the 1916 Tin Lizzie and the 2 euro cent coin clue inside the vehicle. Teams then had to figure out that the building depicted on the coin, the Mole Antonelliana building, was the location of their next clue.

Leg 5 (Italy → Germany)[]

On this leg, teams traveled to Bavaria's Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Airdate: March 18, 2012^[26]

• Turin (Torino Porta Nuova Railway Station) to Ehrwald, Austria (Ehrwald Train Station)
• Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany (Gasthof zum Rassen)
• Oberammergau (Witch's House) or Unterammergau (Wetz-Stoa Stub'n)
• Schwangau (Neuschwanstein Castle)
• Füssen (Bundesleistungszentrum)
• Schwangau-Horn (Landhannes Farm)

For their Speed Bump, Bopper & Mark had to dress up in traditional Bavarian clothing and learn how to yodel a specific tune by listening to a master yodeler before they could continue racing.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Fairy Tale or Champion Male. In Fairy Tale, teams followed a trail of gingerbread, picking up pieces along the way, to a witch's house. Once there, they had use the pieces they picked up to make the roof for a gingerbread house to the satisfaction of a witch to receive their next clue. In Champion Male, teams had to travel to the Wetz-Stoa Stub'n restaurant in Unterammergau, choose a beard enthusiast, and style his beard to match a picture of a champion from the World Beard and Moustache Championships using provided haircare products to receive them their next clue.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to use the Travelocity Roaming Gnome to participate in a game of ice stock sport, known in German as Eisstockschießen. Racers had to push the Roaming Gnome onto a white bullseye on the ice to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks

• Once in Bavaria, teams made their way to Gasthof zum Rassen in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and searched for the Travelocity Roaming Gnome, which had their next clue and they had to keep for the entire leg.
• After completing the Detour, teams were told to "find the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's castle", leaving them to figure out it referred to Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, and not the nearby Hohenschwangau Castle. Then teams had to locate Ludwig II of Bavaria's bedroom to obtain their next clue.

Leg 6 (Germany → Azerbaijan)[]

Upon arrival in Azerbaijan, teams traveled to the Temple Ateshgah, known as the "Fire Temple of Baku".

Airdate: March 25, 2012^[27]

• Munich (Munich Airport) to Baku, Azerbaijan (Heydar Aliyev International Airport)
• Baku (Temple Ateshgah)
  • Baku (Saman Ot Bazary)
• Baku (Occupational Training International)
• Baku (Old Baku – Toghrul Karabakh Carpet Shop)
• Baku (Yaşil Bazaar Fruit Market or Naftalan Health Spa)
• Baku (Boulevard Esplanade Estakada)

This season's second Fast Forward required teams to travel to Saman Ot Bazary, where they had to unload 150 bales of hay and stack them ten bales long, three bales wide, and five bales high. The first team to unload and stack the bales correctly would win the Fast Forward award.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to participate in a helicopter crash training exercise by donning safety gear and boarding a helicopter simulator that then submerged and inverted in a pool of water. Racers then had to evacuate the simulator through a window and swim to a inflatable boat to retrieve their next clue.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Apples or Oil. In Apples, teams traveled to Yaşil Bazaar Fruit Market, where they had to unload and search through a Soviet-era car filled with a ton of apples for one apple marked with an Amazing Race flag that they could trade for their next clue. In Oil, teams traveled to Naftalan health spa, where they had to clean crude oil off a client, first by using a shoehorn and then by scrubbing him clean, to receive their next clue.

Leg 7 (Azerbaijan → Tanzania)[]

In Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater, teams participated in Detour tasks based on the everyday lives of the local Maasai people.

Airdate: April 8, 2012^[28]

• Baku (Heydar Aliyev International Airport) to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (Kilimanjaro International Airport)
• Arusha (Arusha Airstrip) to Ngorongoro Crater (Ngorongoro Airstrip)
• Ngorongoro Crater (Western Edge)
• Ngorongoro Crater (Soneto Village)
• Ngorongoro Crater (Simba Campsite)

This leg's Detour required teams to use bicycles to travel to Soneto Village. Once there, the Maasai villagers would dress teams in traditional clothing before they could select either Marksmanship or Courtship. In Marksmanship, each team member had to use a traditional Maasai weapon called a rungu to hit a clay target attached to a spinning bicycle wheel to receive their next clue. In Courtship, teams had to learn how to perform the traditional Maasai jumping ritual called adumu. Teams had to jump up and down for one minute (a physically exhausting task as the village is located at an elevation of over 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above sea level) to receive their next clue.

Additional tasks

• Upon arrival in Tanzania, teams had to head to Arusha Airstrip in Arusha and sign up for one of three charter flights the next morning to the Ngorongoro Crater.
• After landing at the Ngorongoro Crater, teams had to pick a driver and safari vehicle. They then had to travel to the western edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, where they would find a Maasai warrior who would give them their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams had to instruct their driver to drive to the Simba Campsite along the crater's rim, where they had to set up a campsite, including a bush shower, using all of the materials provided. Once the campsite was completed, they could then proceed to the nearby Pit Stop.

Leg 8 (Tanzania)[]

The Pit Stop on this leg was on the shore of Tanzania's Lake Manyara, described by Ernest Hemingway as the "loveliest [lake] ... in Africa".

Airdate: April 15, 2012^[29]

• Karatu (Hillary Clington Shop)
• Karatu (Bondeni Street or Kona Ya Mbulu Street)
• Karatu (Jack Stelzer Pub)
• Karatu (The Gem Gallery & Arts)
• Mto wa Mbu (Margaret's Farm)
• Lake Manyara National Park (Lake Manyara)

This leg's Detour was a choice between Water Supply or Air Supply. In Water Supply, teams had to pick up a cart with nine empty water jugs, wait in line at a well to fill the jugs, then return them to the house where they had picked them up to receive their next clue. In Air Supply, teams had to repair a flat tire on a bicycle by removing the tire and inner tube without removing the wheel from the bike, then finding the leak and patching it. They then had to reinstall the tube and tire, inflate the tire, and allow someone to take the bike for a test ride to receive their next clue.

For their Speed Bump, Nary & Jamie had to properly set up a display stand using a painting as a guide before they could continue racing.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to dress in protective beekeeper's gear and harvest 500 grams (1.1 lb) of honeycomb from an African bee hive to receive their next clue from the beekeeper.

Additional tasks

• At the start of the leg, teams traveled down from the Ngorongoro Crater to Karatu, where they had to find "Hillary Clington", a roadside stand, for their next clue.
• The clue after the Roadblock instructed teams to travel on foot to the Pit Stop at Lake Manyara.

Leg 9 (Tanzania → India)[]

An infamous Roadblock in Kochi required racers to learn a Bollywood dance routine and perform with 30 other professional dancers (the dancer pictured at the center is famous Bollywood actress Ankita Lokhande).

Airdate: April 22, 2012^[30]

• Arusha (Mount Meru Hotel) (Pit Start)
• Kilimanjaro (Kilimanjaro International Airport) to Kochi, India (Cochin International Airport)
• Aluva (Rajiv Gandhi Municipal Bus Terminal) to Thevara (Sacred Heart College)
• Kochi (Indian Coffee House)
• Kochi (Dr. Ambedkar Stadium or A2Z Driving School)
• Kochi (Bolgatty Palace)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to participate in a Bollywood movie dance routine. After learning the dance moves, they had to perform the dance with thirty extras to the satisfaction of the lead choreographer to receive their next clue.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Cricket or Clutch It. In Cricket, teams traveled to Dr. Ambedkar Stadium, where each team member had to hit one ball bowled by a professional cricket player past a boundary, either along the ground or through the air. When they completed the task, the team coach would give teams their next clue. In Clutch It, teams traveled to A2Z Driving School, where they had to learn how to properly drive an auto rickshaw and transport passengers around a slalom training course. Once both team members made it through the course without hitting any of the obstacles, their instructor would give them their next clue.

Additional task

• At Indian Coffee House, teams had to find the head waiter to receive their next clue.

Leg 10 (India)[]

For their Speed Bump, Bopper & Mark had to paint a tiger's face on a Puli Kali dancer's belly.

Airdate: April 29, 2012^[31]

• Chandiroor (Daiva Vili Bhagvathi Kshetram)
  • Cherthala (Mutharamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple)
• Pattanakkad (Pattanacaud Coir Mats and Matting)
• Fort Kochi (Ancient Tree)
• Vypin (Cheena Vala Fishing Nets)

For their Speed Bump, Bopper & Mark had to paint a tiger face on a Puli Kali dancer's belly before they could continue racing.

This season's third Fast Forward was a Switchback from Season 7, where one team had to travel to Mutharamman Devasthanam Hindu temple to take part in a traditional good luck ritual to win the Fast Forward award: completely shaving their heads.

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to spin 40 feet (12 m) of rope made from coconut husks and spool four other rope bundles onto a spindle to receive their next clue.

This leg's Detour was a choice between Pachyderm or Pack a Box. In Pachyderm, teams had to properly decorate an Asian elephant with a headdress and golden ornaments, then transport fifteen wheelbarrow loads of elephant manure to a nearby truck, before receiving their next clue. In Pack a Box, teams made their way to a ginger processing centre. There, teams had to collect ten empty boxes, fill them with sifted ginger, stencil a label on each box, and deliver the boxes to a shipping depot to receive their next clue from the manager.

Additional tasks

• At Daiva Vili Bhagvathi Kshetram, the head priest would bless teams before giving them their next clue.
• At Fort Kochi, teams had to look for a "barber under an ancient tree" for their next clue.

Leg 11 (India → Japan)[]

Before heading to Osaka, teams visited the historic Hiroshima Peace Memorial to commemorate the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing.

Airdate: May 6, 2012^[32]

• Kochi (Cochin International Airport) to Hiroshima, Japan (Hiroshima Airport)
• Hatsukaichi (Miyajima – Itsukushima Shrine)
• Hiroshima (Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park – Hiroshima Peace Memorial)
• (Bullet Train) Hiroshima (Hiroshima Station) to Osaka (Shin-Ōsaka Station)
• Osaka (TV 8 Studio)
• Osaka (Umeda Sky Building – Floating Garden Observatory)
• Osaka (Kura Sushi or Tenjinbashi-Suji Strip Mall (in Japanese))
• Osaka (Osaka Castle)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to participate in a Japanese game show called "Bring That Chicken Home". Racers had to run on a treadmill while trying to grab three rubber chickens hanging from the ceiling. After grabbing the chickens, racers had to jump on a platform at the end of the treadmill to receive their next clue from the host.

This season's final Detour was a choice between Bingo Shout-Out or Photo Cut-Out. In Bingo Shout-Out, teams traveled to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant and participated in a game of bingo using pieces of sushi. The chef would call out pieces of sushi and teams would have to find the matching sushi with a letter attached and put it on their bingo card. Once they got five pieces in a row, they had to call out "Sushi" for verification. When the chef verified a proper bingo, the team then had to eat the five winning pieces of sushi before the chef would give them their next clue. In Photo Cut-Out, teams had to convince locals in groups of three to pose behind three sumo wrestler cut-outs and get photographed. Once teams got ten photos, they could trade them for their next clue.

Additional tasks

• Upon arrival in Hiroshima, teams made their way to Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, and had to wait at the torii for their next clue, which was given to them by a farmer at sunrise the next day.
• At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, teams observed a memorial service commemorating the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 before they were given their next clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to the Floating Garden Observatory in the Umeda Sky Building, where they would find two Windows 7 touchscreens that would display the Detour tasks.

Leg 12 (Japan → United States)[]

The last leg of the season took place in Honolulu, where the twin towers of Mauka and Makai (One Waterfront Towers) were visited for the initial task.

Airdate: May 6, 2012^[32]

• Osaka (Kansai International Airport) to Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, United States (Honolulu International Airport)
• Honolulu (One Waterfront Towers)
• Honolulu (Sand Island)
• Honolulu (Baseball Park) to North Shore (Kawela Bay)
• Hakipuʻu Valley (Coral Kingdom Gate)
• Kualoa Valley (Secret Island)

In this leg's first Roadblock, one team member had to make a traditional Japanese treat brought to Hawaii known as shave ice. Using a katana, they had to shave enough ice to fill a bucket to a given line to receive their next clue from Hawaii Five-0 actor Taylor Wily.

In this season's final Roadblock, the team member who did not perform the previous Roadblock had to participate in traditional Hawaiian games. The first game was heʻe hōlua, land sledding down a hill without falling over, and then a game of ʻulu maika, bowling a lava rock, traditionally used by Hawaiian warriors to break the ankles of enemies, through a goal on a field. Once both games were completed, teams would be given their final clue.

Additional tasks

• Once in Honolulu, teams were only told to find the twins known as "Mauka" and "Makai". They had to figure out that this referred to the twin One Waterfront Towers. Teams were then instructed to use mechanical ascenders to get to the top of Makai Tower. There, teams then had to search for a large Amazing Race flag with their next clue from the top of the tower. Then, they had to rappel face-first down the other side of the tower to the ground.
• After completing the first Roadblock, teams had to make their way on foot to a baseball park where they would take a helicopter to the next location on Oahu's North Shore. Once at the North Shore, teams joined a surf rescue team. One teammate had to drive a WaveRunner out into the surf to a distressed swimmer that their partner had to rescue from the water. Once teams returned to shore, they would receive their next clue.
• After completing the second Roadblock, teams had to drive an ATV to a dock, where they had to paddle surf to the Finish Line at Secret Island.

Reception[]

Critical response[]

The Amazing Race 20 received mostly negative reviews. Michael Hewitt of the Orange County Register wrote that this season "started with great promise" but by the end was "sputtering to a close".^[33] Scott Von Doviak of The A.V. Club regarded this season as "probably one of the weaker ones overall".^[34] Daniel Fienberg of HitFix was negative towards this season largely due to its cast writing that "sometimes this is the best-cast show on TV. That was not the case this season."^[35] Patrick Hodges of CinemaBlend called it a pretty uninteresting season.^[36] Reece Forward of Screen Rant ranked this season as the show's worst writing that there were "many creative, memorable tasks, and the season did produce one of the biggest fan favorites ever with Mark & Bopper. However, all of the cons of season 20 outweighed the pros, when the teams that last the longest are unpleasant and most of the others simply aren't memorable at all. As great as the actual race part of The Amazing Race is, the cast is always what's most important, and season 20 fails tremendously on that front."^[37] In 2016, this season was ranked 10th out of the first 27 seasons by the Rob Has a Podcast Amazing Race correspondents.^[38]

Ratings[]

No episode aired on April 1, 2012, due to CBS's broadcast of the Academy of Country Music Awards and CTV's broadcast of the Juno Awards.

U.S. Nielsen ratings[]

• Episode 2, "You Know I'm Not as Smart as You", aired on the same night as the 84th Academy Awards.
• Episode 7, "I Didn't Make Her Cry", aired on Easter Sunday.

Canadian ratings[]

Canadian broadcaster CTV also aired The Amazing Race on Sundays. Episodes aired at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, Central, and Atlantic (9:00 p.m. Pacific and Mountain). The only exception to this was the broadcast of the second episode which conflicted with CTV's broadcast of the 84th Academy Awards; The Amazing Race was shown instead at 6:00 p.m. in the Eastern, Central, and Atlantic time zones, and immediately after the broadcast of the Oscars in the Pacific and Mountain time zones.

Notes[]

References[]