The Amazing Race 7
The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the American reality television show "The Amazing Race". It featured 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. This installment premiered on March 1, 2005 and completed its broadcast run on May 10, 2005. Married couple Uchenna and Joyce Agu were the winners of this season. Production. Development and filming. "The Amazing Race 7" took place over 29 days and traveled nearly . Filming began on November 20, 2004 and finished on December 19, 2004. The teams raced in ten  countries, five of which were not previously visited in the series. The new countries were Peru, Chile, Botswana, Turkey, and Jamaica. Puerto Rico, a US territory in the Caribbean, also appeared for the first time. This was the first edition to not circumnavigate the world by traveling continuously either west or east while crossing each meridian. Once teams traveled as far east as India, they returned to the United States traveling westward through Europe and the Caribbean. However, the route does approach that of a great circle on the globe. In this season, a change was made to the non -elimination leg penalty. In addition to being stripped of all their money and receiving no allowance for the next leg, teams were forced to surrender all of their possessions, except for their passports and the clothes they were wearing, for the remainder of the season. They were also no longer allowed to beg for money prior to the start of the next leg (after the next leg started, they could beg for money). The racers could also receive or buy clothing or toiletries from other teams. Leg 2 featured Chilean model Pamela Díaz as the Pit Stop greeter in Santiago , Chile. Leg 3 featured a difficult Roadblock in which players had to eat of meat and organs. Four players quit this food-eating task: Rob, Meredith, Deana, and Patrick, the most to ever quit a task in a single leg at the time. Although it was not aired on television or in the DVD, Patrick quit the Roadblock but later decided to complete it. The aired portion had Patrick eating and finishing the meat and never taking the four-hour penalty. Host Phil Keoghan greeted teams at the check-in mat midway through Leg 8 to hand them their next  clue, marking the first time on "The Amazing Race" that teams stepped on the check-in mat to be handed their next clue, and to have their next clue handed to them by Keoghan. Controversy surrounded the final leg of the season when Rob & Amber and Uchenna & Joyce arrived at the airport in San Juan, they were both sold tickets for a flight leaving later than one whose gate was about to close. While Rob & Amber managed to get on this earlier departing flight, Uchenna & Joyce were shown through the gate as the boarding corridor between the gate exitway and  airplane began to shut. After a commercial break, the boarding corridor reopened to the gate to pick up Uchenna and Joyce. No explanation was given as to why the gate reopened, which has led to widespread speculation about intervention by the production staff. In the "Revisiting the Race" special feature on the Season 7 DVD, Uchenna, Rob, and host Phil Keoghan deny the accusations of intervention by the production crew. Uchenna describes his experience with finding the same airline agent at the gate who had previously informed him that there was no earlier available flight. Rob describes Uchenna running around  frantically trying to get onto the flight, which the final edited version of the show does not portray. Phil cites the fact that the decision to reopen the door rested solely with the pilot, and that intervention by the production crew would have resulted in someone leaking such information out. Cast. Applications for "The Amazing Race 7" were closed on August 11, 2004. Semi-finalist interviews were held in September 2004, and final casting interviews were held in Los Angeles between September and October 2004. Uchenna & Joyce were originally slated to be contestants on "The Amazing Race 6". They were  sequestered in Santa Monica, California but were cut at the last minute before the season began in Chicago, and they are the first team that ever came back from no money from the last leg to winning "The Amazing Race". Joyce Agu previously appeared in "" as Ensign Gates (credited as Joyce Robinson), a background character who piloted the USS "Enterprise". Ron Young was a former Apache helicopter pilot who was shot down in Iraq and held as a prisoner of war for 22 days, and Kelly McCorkle was a former Miss South Carolina. Brian Thomas Smith previously competed on "Christmas  Fear Factor" and was eliminated on the second stunt. Amber Brkich originally appeared on "" and Rob Mariano appeared on "". Both were called back to compete on "" where Rob finished second and Amber won. Future appearances. Rob & Amber and Uchenna & Joyce were selected for "The Amazing Race: All-Stars" among a cast of returning teams from Seasons 1–10. On May 25, 2005, CBS aired Rob & Amber's wedding at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas, a trip they won during the season, during a special entitled "Rob and Amber Get Married". After competing on "The Amazing Race", Rob was later called  back for a third time to compete on "", finishing in 13th place, and a fourth time to compete on "", which Rob went on to win. Rob & Amber later both returned to "Survivor" to compete on "", where they finished in 17th and 20th place respectively. Rob also returned as a non-playing mentor alongside Sandra Diaz-Twine in "". Brian Smith would later appear on "The Big Bang Theory" as Penny's dim-witted boyfriend, Zack. On May 23, 2016, Rob Mariano appeared on a "Survivor"-themed "The Price is Right" primetime special. Awards. In September 2005, "The Amazing Race 7" won the  Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Reality-Competition Program", the third consecutive award for the television series. Although Seasons 5 and 6 were also eligible, producers chose Season 7 since it was the most recent installment of the show. Marketing. Travelocity replaced the show's previous regular sponsors, American Airlines Vacations and Royal Caribbean International, and would become the main sponsor in subsequent seasons. In addition to trips, the company also provided a special prize of US$20,000 in vacation money, won by Ron & Kelly, in a random drawing on Leg 9 after matching the marking on the bottom of the  company's mascot gnome. Distribution. The DVD for Season 7 was released on December 20, 2005. Lynn & Alex, Brian & Greg, Rob & Amber, and Uchenna & Joyce did commentary on four episodes. Results. The following teams participated in the season, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order: Episode title quotes. Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers. Prizes. Individual prizes  were awarded to the first team to complete a leg unless otherwise noted. Trips were provided by Travelocity. The prizes awarded were: Race summary. Leg 1 (United States → Peru). Airdate: March 1, 2005 This season's first Detour was a choice between Rope a Llama or Rope a Basket. In Rope a Llama, teams had to rope two llamas and lead them to a nearby pen to receive their next clue from the herder. In Rope a Basket, each team member had to carry a basket of alfalfa two-thirds of a mile (1.1 km) to a store called  Tienda Victoria Valdivia to receive their next clue. Leg 2 (Peru → Chile). Airdate: March 8, 2005 In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to work as a shoeshiner and polish five pairs of shoes on the street for a fee of one Peruvian nuevo sol per pair. After earning five soles, racers had to find their partner at the shoeshine union headquarters to receive their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Shop or Schlep. In Shop, teams traveled to Mercado Central to find the Donde Augusto restaurant, where the chef would give  them a shopping list. Teams then had to buy the proper quantities of five ingredients on the shopping list (a corvina fish, one colinabo, two tomatoes, one onion, and a clove of garlic) to receive their next clue from the chef. In Schlep, teams traveled to Libreria Chilena, where they had to load 180 books onto a hand truck, deliver the books eight blocks to the Library of Congress of Chile inside the Former National Congress Building, and place the books on a designated shelf to receive their next clue. Leg 3 (Chile → Argentina). Airdate: March 15, 2005 This  leg's Detour was a choice between Paddle or Pedal. In Paddle, teams had to whitewater raft down the Mendoza River to their next clue. In Pedal, teams had to pedal mountain bikes down a railroad track to their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to eat a traditional Argentinian feast containing cow rib, pork sausage, blood sausage, cow intestine, cow udder, cow kidney, and part of a cow's salivary gland to receive their next clue. Leg 4 (Argentina). Airdate: March 22, 2005 In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to complete  a traditional gaucho challenge by riding a horse through a barrel racing course, then using a stick to spear a ring, within 40 seconds to receive their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Shipwreck or Island. In Shipwreck, using only a 30-year-old picture as a reference, teams had to find an abandoned ship within a area to receive their next clue. In Island, teams used a map to travel up the San Antonio River and find a marked island with their next clue. Leg 5 (Argentina → South Africa). Airdate: March 29, 2005 This  season's first of two Fast Forwards required one team to go to the Orlando Power Station in Soweto. There, they would be taken to the top of one of the cooling towers and had to walk across a suspension bridge 30 stories above the ground to win the Fast Forward award. This leg's Detour was a choice between Tunnels or Tribes. In Tunnels, teams went to Wild Cave Adventures in Krugersdorp, where they had to rappel into a dark cave and search for their next clue. In Tribes, teams traveled to the Lesedi Cultural Village in Broederstroom, where  they would find six items and had to deliver the correct item to each of the village's five tribes: Ndebele (beads), Pedi (pot), Sotho (hat), Xhosa (pipe), and Zulu (shield). For every correct item teams delivered, a chief would give them a necklace. Once teams had five necklaces, they could exchange them for their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search the Baragwanath Market and buy five items from vendors, one toy, ten diapers, one backpack, two shirts, and one blanket, to receive their next clue. Leg 6 (South Africa → Botswana). Airdate : March 29, 2005 In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to complete a traditional bushman hunting training exercise by throwing a spear into a swinging bag to receive their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Food or Water. In Food, teams had to use two sticks and a wooden container called a kika to pound corn into powder until they could fill a basket to the marked line to receive their next clue. In Water, teams had to fill 12 ostrich egg shells with water from an underground spring using reed straws and bury  them to receive their next clue. Leg 7 (Botswana). Airdate: April 6, 2005 This leg's Detour was a choice between Carry It or Milk It. In Carry It, each team member had to carry three items on their heads (a bucket of water, a basket of corn, and a bundle of wood) to a cooking area away without using their hands to receive their next clue. In Milk It, teams had to select up to four goats from a pen and milk them until they filled a cup up to a line to receive their next clue. In this  leg's Roadblock, one team member had to drive their vehicle across a crocodile-infested crossing of the Khwai River. Then, they had to choose a marked path by removing a flagged post and use their vehicle to remove two trees felled by elephants before retrieving their next clue at the end of the path. Leg 8 (Botswana → India). Airdate: April 13, 2005 In this leg's first Roadblock, one team member had to search among the 600 metal boxes in the emporium for one of ten that contained their next clue. This leg's first Detour was a  choice between Solid or Liquid. In Solid, teams traveled to Mehrotra Coal Depot, where they had to break up of coal, load it onto flatbed tricycles, and then deliver it to K.K. Jaiswal Charcoal Merchants to receive their next clue. In Liquid, teams traveled to the Sharma Tea Corner, where they picked up a tea cart, traveled to a three-story office building to find five people from a list of ten, and exchanged cups of tea for business cards. When they received all five business cards, teams had to return the carts to the tea shop and exchange the  cards with the owner for their next clue. Airdate: April 20, 2005 This season's second of two Fast Forwards required one team to participate in a traditional Hindu good fortune ritual at Kailashoham Gaure Shwar Mahadev Mandir on Kaylana Lake: completely shaving their head. Teams would not know that the ritual was head shaving until they arrived. Once both team members were bald, they would win the Fast Forward award. This task was later revisited on Season 20 as a Switchback. This leg's second Detour was a choice between Trunk or Dunk. In Trunk, teams had to travel  to Panna Niwas, then push a teak elephant through the streets of Jodhpur's old city to the Shri Kunj Bihari Temple, where they received their next clue from the temple priest. In Dunk, teams made their way to a dyeing house, where they had to dye 25 sheets of fabric from a basket until they found the one with their next clue printed on it. In this leg's second Roadblock, one team member had to complete two laps of a course in a camel-driven cart to receive their next clue. Leg 9 (India → Turkey). Airdate: April  27, 2005 This leg's Detour was a choice between Columns or Kilos. In Columns, teams traveled to Binbirdirek Cistern and had use a map with coordinates to find four columns, each of which had a number for the combination to open a padlocked box containing their next clue. In Kilos, teams had to travel to the Yeni Mosque, located at the old Jewish quarter of Eminönü, and find a man with a box of scales. Using one of the scales, teams had to weigh enough people on the street until they reached a total of . Once done, teams had  to return their scale and show their weights to the man to receive their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to climb a ladder up the side of Halil Paşa Kulesi. Once at the top, team members then climbed to the top of a tower to retrieve a key, then rappelled down the side of Sarlica Paşa Kulesi. Once at the bottom, they had to use the key to open a book which contained their next clue that instructed racers to have the guard open the gate to allow their partner to enter the castle  and then search the grounds for the Pit Stop. Leg 10 (Turkey → England). Airdate: May 3, 2005 This leg's Detour was a choice between Brains or Brawn. In Brains, teams had to take the London Underground and solve a series of three riddles: (1) Teams had to exchange a luggage tag at Left Luggage, a baggage storage in Waterloo station, for their first item (a bag with a magnifying glass). (2) Teams had to find the three naked men of Hammersmith, a statue in Hammersmith tube station, to find the second item (a pipe and tobacco). (3) Teams  had to find the station on the street where Victorian London's most famous detective lived to find the third item (a deerstalker hat). Teams then had to take the items to 221B Baker Street, home of the Sherlock Holmes Museum, and exchange the items with Sherlock Holmes for their next clue. In Brawn, teams made their way to Battersea Park where they had to transport five boats from a lake to the storage area, away, to receive their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to drive a double-decker bus through a marked course . If they hit any cones, the bus driver would reset the course and would drive the bus back to the start of the course. Once they completed the course, the team member had to park the bus in the designated parking area to receive their next clue. Leg 11 (England → Jamaica). Airdate: May 10, 2005 In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to do the limbo to determine when they would start the next task. For every level they passed, they would begin 15 minutes earlier the next morning, starting at 9:15 a.m. with the earliest time  at 8:15 a.m. After eight attempts at the limbo, teams would receive their next clue instructing them to spend the night and then depart Frenchman's Cove at 6:00 a.m. This leg's Detour was a choice between Raft It or Build It. In Raft It, teams had to travel down the Rio Grande on a bamboo raft with only a pole to steer to receive their next clue. In Build It, teams had to build a bamboo raft using the tools provided. When their work was to the supervisor's satisfaction, teams then paddled across the Rio Grande to  find their next clue on top of a hill. Leg 12 (Jamaica → Puerto Rico → United States). Airdate: May 10, 2005 This season's final Detour was a choice between Pony Up or Tee It Up. In Pony Up, teams had to ride a horse into the ocean then hang onto its tail as it went around buoys and returned to shore to receive their next clue. In Tee It Up, teams had to dress in proper golfing attire and go out to the driving range, where one team member had to hit a golf ball onto the green , away, to receive their next clue. In this season's final Roadblock, one team member had to jump off of a pier, swim to a buoy with their next clue, then board a boat that would return them back to shore and their partner. Reception. Critical response. "The Amazing Race 7" received mostly positive reviews. Andy Dehnart called this season satisfying by the end. In 2016, this season was ranked 4th out of the first 27 seasons by the "Rob Has a Podcast Amazing Race" correspondents. Kareem Gantt of "Screen Rant" wrote that it was "a season in which The  Amazing Race was firing on all cylinders." In 2021, Jane Andrews of Gossip Cop ranked this season as the show's 6th best season. Val Barone of "TheThings" ranked this season as the show's best season. In 2022, Jason Shomer of Collider ranked this season among the show's top seven seasons. Conversely, Linda Holmes of "Television Without Pity" wrote that it was an "incredibly ungenerous, pinched, unpleasant season" due to it turning "into such a bitchy, moralizing, self-righteous morass, and it's "not" Rob and Amber who made that happen. It's primarily Lynn and Alex, with  help from Meredith and Gretchen, Ron and Kelly, and -- unfortunately -- Uchenna and Joyce."