'The Amazing Race' eliminates Ernest Phillip and Jin Lao

The Amazing Race eliminated Ernest Phillip and Jin Lao during Friday night's broadcast of the CBS reality competition's 27th season.


The "Breakdancing Brothers" became the third team eliminated from the around-the-world competition after they arrived at the Race's third Pit Stop at the Museo Gauchesco in Argentina in last place.

"We're survivors, we're fighters, and that's what we tried to do," Ernest said following his team's ouster.

"Me and my brother wanted to better our lives, and winning The Amazing Race would've given us that boost that we needed to pursue our dreams," said Jin, adding however it was "awesome" to travel to new places and meet new people.

The third episode of The Amazing Race's 27th season began with "Best Friends and Texans" Tanner Kloven and Josh Ahern lamenting about how Tanner had pulled his hamstring racing to the Pit Stop in the previous leg and the rest of the Race was therefore going to be difficult for him physically.


"Engaged Couple and Amazing Race super fans" Justin Scheman and Diana Bishop ripped open the third leg's first clue before anyone else at 5:45AM.

The clue instructed the teams to make their way by bus to the rural town of San Antonio de Areco. Once there, they had to choose a pickup truck, which would drive them to their next clue.

Tanner and Josh opened the clue in second place at 6:12AM. The guys were then followed by "Mother and Son" Denise Williams and James Corley at 6:13AM, "Dating Paparazzi Business Partners" Logan Fazio and Chris Gordon at 6:14AM, "Married Couple in Medicine" Cindy Chac and Rick Chac at 6:21AM, "Former NFL Cheerleaders" Tiffany Chantell and Krista Debono at 6:28AM, "Dating Co-Workers and News Anchors" Kelsey Gerckens and Joey Buttitta at 6:30AM, and Ernest and Jin at 7:16AM.

Justin and Diana boarded a city bus to find a terminal, while Tanner and Josh hopped into a taxi. Denise and James Earl had some trouble nailing down a cab.

At the Retiro Bus Station, Tanner and Josh rushed onto a bus headed to San Antonio de Areco that was already parked outside and ready to go. Kelsey and Joey also managed to get on that first bus thanks to their knowledgeable taxi driver.


While on that bus, Tanner and Josh began plotting with Kelsey and Joey. The Texans explained that Justin got on their nerves and the team was a big threat. So since Tanner and Josh had an Express Pass to hand over in a future leg, they told the dating reporters whoever U-Turns Justin and Diana will receive the advantage.

Tanner and Josh were trying to make it so that every team would be fighting against Justin and Diana. Much to their surprise, Justin and Diana hopped on their bus at a subsequent stop.

Meanwhile, all the other teams shared the second bus -- except for Ernest and Jin, who were way behind the pack and knew it. Ernest and Jin booked seats on the third bus out but still had a great, optimistic spirit about them.

The teams' next set of clues required them to head to the agricultural heartland of Argentina known as the Pampas region and search for the gaucho ranch of La Portena.

Justin and Diana sprinted past Josh and the injured Tanner to get to the clue box. The two teams were then followed by Kelsey and Joey. Within seconds of one another, the following teams then received their next clue: Logan and Chris, Cindy and Rick, Jazmine and Danielle, Denise and James Earl, and Tiffany and Krista.


Ernest and Jin eventually made their way to the gaucho ranch of La Portena in last place.

Once there, it became time for one member from each team to participate in a Roadblock task, which required the Racers to properly hang two racks of lamb and a rack of beef ribs on metal stakes to be cooked. The meat had to hang right side up and be skewered properly so the stakes with the bones would be facing outwards.

Justin opted to take on the Roadblock task on behalf of his team as well as Josh, Joey, Chris, Rick, Danielle, James Earl, Tiffany and Ernest.

Many of the Racers made the mistake of hanging the meat on the wrong side. Many of them, including Joey and Justin, had to redo their work multiple times. Once again, Ernest knew his team was in dead last, so he was just trying to make the best of things.

Tanner and Josh finished the Roadblock in first place. On their heels were Kelsey and Joey, Cindy and Rick, Justin and Diana, Denise and James Earl, Jazmine and Danielle, Logan and Chris, Tiffany and Krista, and finally Ernest and Jin.


The teams then learned they must pick up a roasted lamb and deliver it to the festival judges at the Plaza Principal. The teams dropped off their lamb in the same order they had left the Roadblock.

It then became time for the teams to complete one of the two possible Detour tasks: "Horse" or "Carriage."

"Horse" required the teams to select a polo mallet from the plaza, dress as polo players, and then properly equip a fake polo horse.

"Carriage" required the teams to select a buggy whip, dress as gauchos, and dust off a carriage. After pushing the carriage to a waiting team of horses that were being harnessed up, the teams then had to ride in their carriage back to the plaza.

Tanner and Josh, Justin and Diana, Kelsey and Joey, Denise and James Earl, Jazmine and Danielle, and Logan and Chris all wanted to try the "Horse" task. That left Cindy and Rick, Tiffany and Krista, and Ernest and Jin attempting "Carriage."


Cindy and Rick forgot to grab their whip at the starting point of "Carriage," so they had to run back and get it. Tiffany and Krista also made a mistake by leaving their whip behind, so they also had to waste time running back and forth.

Tanner and Josh finished the Detour task in first place. They were soon followed by Justin and Diana, Kelsey and Joey, Denise and James Earl, Jazmine and Danielle, Logan and Chris, Cindy and Rick, Tiffany and Krista, and Ernest and Jin.

The teams then made their way on foot to the next Pit Stop at the Museo Gauchesco.

Still in the lead, Tanner and Josh stepped on the Pit Stop mat and met host Phil Keoghan in first place. For winning the leg, the Texas boys received a trip for two to Cambodia.

Justin and Diana finished the leg in second place and learned Tanner and Josh would be gunning for them in the next leg, which will feature a Double U-Turn. Justin didn't seem phased by their plan, and he said he was definitely willing to "play dirty" as well.

Kelsey and Joey completed the third leg in third place, with Jazmine and Danielle right behind them in fourth. Logan and Chris finished in fifth place, followed by sixth-place finishers Denise and James Earl -- who were supposed to claim fifth place but incurred a 30-minute time penalty. Denise had been yelling out ways to help James Earl with his Roadblock task, which is against the rules.


Cindy and Rick then completed the leg in seventh place, followed by Tiffany and Krista in eighth place and then Ernest and Jin in ninth -- and last -- place.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski