The Amazing Race Season 37, Episode 5: A Tense Turn of Events in Bali
The latest episode of The Amazing Race, aired on April 2, 2023, featured the title “It’s Not Personal, It’s Business.”As the competition intensifies, the nine remaining teams navigated the scenic yet challenging terrain of Bali, Indonesia.
Eliminations Shake Up the Ranks
After the elimination of Bernie Gutierrez and Carrigain Scadden in the previous episode, Scott and Laurie found themselves sent home this week. The drama escalated as teams voted to impose a U-turn on top contenders Jonathan & Ana, as well as Scott & Laurie, forcing them to tackle both Detour tasks instead of choosing one.
The Challenges and Rising Tensions
One of the formidable tasks required competitors to tie five distinct coral species to a cage and secure it to the ocean floor. This activity proved particularly daunting for Ana, who battled intense fear of water. Despite the odds, she donned a life jacket to face her fears, although Jonathan’s lack of support heightened the complexity of the challenge.
The situation deteriorated further in the subsequent challenge, which involved tossing 60 coconuts from a bicycle to a café. Under the sweltering sun, Jonathan’s patience waned, compounded by complaints about headaches. His performance during the Roadblock was marred by numerous breaks, leading to frustration among viewers.
Viewer Backlash Against Jonathan
The audience expressed their discontent with Jonathan’s demeanor toward Ana on social media platforms like X. Criticism poured in regarding his treatment of her during challenges:
“I hope the ratings totally tank because Jonathan is on the show. Let’s boycott,”a fan said.
“Jonathan can yell at Ana to stop whining and crying but Ana can’t try to be encouraging and tell him to not give up… the difference between being supportive and not supportive is glaring,”said another.
“Jonathan is such an **s and his negativity is not entertaining at all… I really like Ana. .. I don’t know how she deals with him… if anyone can get eliminated, I hope it’s them…. Only because of Jonathan,”added a third.
“I’m not buying anything Ana said about Jonathan picking her up when she’s down… girl he wouldn’t even hold your hand in the water knowing you were scared,”commented one.
Many viewers felt that Jonathan’s behavior warranted an apology toward Ana and debated whether they deserved to stay in the competition:
“I want Jonathan & Ana to go home. Jonathan is so unlikeable,”an X user wrote.
“Jonathan may be genuinely not well physically right now, but he still owes Ana a big apology for his behavior this leg,”another wrote.
“Jonathan and Ana are really hard to watch… like it makes sense why they separated… he is really tough on her and it is tough to watch,”commented one.
“Jonathan could’ve at least showed Ana some kind of support knowing she was traumatized by the ocean. Like dang, hold her hand or something,”wrote one.
Overcoming Adversity Despite the Challenges
During the Detour involving coconuts, Jonathan faced additional setbacks with the weight of the coconuts causing the bicycle to topple over. Frustrated, he repeatedly asked Ana for assistance as they struggled to keep the task on track. Meanwhile, Ana revealed her emotional trauma of losing a child to an ectopic pregnancy last year, explaining their motivation for participating in The Amazing Race as a celebration of resilience.
Despite their individual struggles, both Jonathan and Ana continued to push through, ultimately outracing Scott and Laurie, who were voted off in this leg of the race.
Tune In for More Action
New episodes of The Amazing Race Season 37 air every Wednesday at 9:30 PM ET on CBS, promising to deliver more excitement and drama as the competition progresses.