The Amazing Race 4


The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The show features twelve teams, divided in pairs usually based on pre-existing relationships. These teams then race around the world. Season 4 premiered on May 29, 2003 and concluded on August 21, 2003.
Then-married couple Reichen Lehmkuhl and Chip Arndt were the winners of the Race and were the first gay couple to win the competition.
The complete season was released on DVD on November 29, 2011.

Production

Development and filming

The fourth season of The Amazing Race spanned across four continents with previously unvisited locations in Netherlands and South Korea. Filming for the show began on January 18, 2003 and finished on February 14, 2003.
This was the last season where ties at the end were allowed at the mat. In subsequent seasons, even if several teams arrived at the mat on the same time, a chronological order would be determined and the official check-in times for teams arriving simultaneously would be set a minute apart to avoid ties. This was also the last season where the Fast Forward appeared in every leg. This season had a record of nine teams finishing first at some point, with a record of seven Fast Forwards claimed.
During the final leg of the Race, David & Jeff were stranded in Sydney, Australia for so long that they were not able to reach the final part of the leg in Phoenix, Arizona. Along with Joe & Bill of Season 1, they are one of only two teams in Amazing Race history to reach the final leg but not cross the Finish Line.

Cast

This season's cast included a gay married couple, NFL wives, female models, clowns, and air traffic controllers. "NFL Wives" Monica & Sheree are respectively married to Ashley Ambrose and Ray Buchanan, both of whom played for the Atlanta Falcons the season before the television series was filmed.
At the time the show was filmed and broadcast, same-sex marriage had not yet been made legal in the United States. Reichen & Chip were never legally married, although they were married in a religious ceremony. CBS decided for the purpose of the show to respect the fact that they recognized themselves as a "married" couple. Not long after the season ended, Reichen revealed that he and Chip had separated.
Contestants Kelly & Jon became the first team to make it to the final leg without using a Fast Forward.
Tian & Jaree were originally slated to be contestants on The Amazing Race 3. They were held back until the fourth season due to the production team losing their paperwork. During the first few weeks of the Race, Jaree suffered from sickness and a high temperature. It was suggested by doctors that she be pulled out from the Race, but she decided to continue. Her illness was not aired on the show.

Future appearances

This is one of three seasons among the first ten that was not represented in The Amazing Race: All-Stars, although Kelly & Jon were considered.
In 2005, Reichen appeared on a "Reality All-Stars" episode of Fear Factor and was eliminated after the second stunt.

Awards

In 2004, this installment of the Race won the series its second consecutive primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Reality Competition Program".

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, 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:
  1. ^ Amanda & Chris, Millie & Chuck, and Steve & Josh all agreed to a three-way tie for 1st place after the three teams stepped on the Pit Stop mat at the same time.
  2. ^ Jon & Al and Millie & Chuck both agreed to a 2nd place tie after both teams stepped on the Pit Stop mat at the same time.
  3. Reichen & Chip initially arrived 2nd, but were issued a 35-minute penalty as they drove to the Pit Stop instead of traveling on foot as stated in their clue. Kelly & Jon checked in during their penalty time, dropping Reichen & Chip to 3rd.
  4. David & Jeff had fallen so far behind that they were unable to complete the final leg. Once David & Jeff reached Hawaii and arrived at the route marker at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, they were informed that the Race was over and accepted a third-place finish. Prior to the announcement, Jeff acknowledged on the Amazing Race website that he completed the final Roadblock.

    Episode titles

Titles for episodes are often taken from quotes made by the racers.
  1. "Cheaters Never Win... And They Cheated!" – Sheree
  2. "It Doesn't Say Anything About First Come First Served... And We're Bigger" – Reichen
  3. "I Wasn't Even Going To Touch You Until You Slammed My Head Backwards" – Millie
  4. "Check Your Tires Because... Oh God, You Never Know What'll Happen!" – Steve
  5. "You Are Just Deliberately Trying To Make Us Lose!" – Jaree
  6. "I Could Have Never Been Prepared For What I'm Looking At Right Now" – Reichen
  7. "We're Going Down The Wrong Side Of The Freeway... And The Lights Are Off!" – Tian & Jaree
  8. "The Priestess Reminded Me of My Grandmother. She Was Very Old But Still Very, Very With It" – David
  9. "We're Not at Charm School Learning How to Be a Gentleman, We're Racing" – Jon
  10. "That's Me. That's My Face. Just Hit My Face. Hit My Face!" – Jon
  11. "Such a Nice Pheromone Smell to You; Just Makes Me Want to Stay Close to You" – Jon
  12. "He's A Couple Of Ticks Away From Having A Heart Attack" – Jon
  13. "It's Like Adam Building His First House!" – Kelly

    Prizes

Individual prizes were awarded to the first team to complete a leg:

Leg 1 (United States → Italy)

Airdate: May 29, 2003
For the first Fast Forward, one team had to find a field on Passo Giau, put on snowshoes, and trek to the top of a snowy hill to win the Fast Forward award.
The Detour was a choice between Search or Rescue. In Search, teams used a locator beacon to find a beeper somewhere within a area. After finding it, they had to dig in that spot in search of a set of keys for a snowmobile that would then drive them to their next clue. In Rescue, teams made their way to marked rock towers and crossed a traditional alpine rescue bridge of four steel cables. They then had to use a long zip-line to travel across a ravine to receive the next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: June 5, 2003
The Detour on Ponte delle Guglie was a choice between Waterway or Pathway. In Waterway, teams had to travel by gondola using only a map to guide their gondolier without asking locals for direction to Campo Querini Stampalia, where they would find their next clue. In Pathway, teams had to travel by foot to the same plaza with their next clue through the city's streets and bridges without a map, but, unlike in Waterway, they could ask for directions.
The Fast Forward required one team to head to Campo San Vio and join a group of traveling players to form the street theater known as Commedia dell'arte until the Fast Forward pass appeared in the skit.
For the first Roadblock of the Race, one team member had to take a picture of one of four Venetian masks from the doorman, enter the Palazzo, and search among rooms filled with masked revelers to find the mask shown in the picture. If they found the right person, they would get their next clue. If they chose wrong, the reveler would take the picture and silently walk away. If this happened, the person would go back outside to wait to receive another picture as only four contestants could enter at a time.
;Additional task
Airdate: June 12, 2003
The Fast Forward in this leg required one team to enter the ballroom of Schönbrunn Palace and put on formal attire. Each team member then needed to carry a tray of full champagne glasses through waltzing couples without spilling any of the drinks to win the award.
The Detour was a choice between Mozart or Beethoven. In Mozart, teams carried a string bass to the well-known house where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote The Marriage of Figaro. There, a Mozart impersonator handed them their next clue. In Beethoven, teams had to carry a portfolio of sheet music to a lesser-known house where Ludwig Van Beethoven wrote The Heiligenstadt Testaments. When they found the right house, a Beethoven impersonator handed them their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to take a bungee jump off the Donauturm, the tallest tower-jump in Europe, and pick up the next clue at the bottom.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: June 19, 2003
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to change four tires on one of the marked race cars, then drive a high-speed lap around the Circuit Bugatti with a professional driver. Once the lap concluded, they would receive their next clue at the winners' podium.
The Fast Forward required one team to find the Musée de Tapisseries in Aix-en-Provence and then arrange a 20-piece puzzle to form a picture of the Pit Stop: the Chateau des Alpilles in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
The Detour in Gorges du Blavet was a choice between Ropes or Slopes. In Ropes, teams rappelled down the cliff, then hiked a short way to the clue below. In Slopes, teams took a much longer sloping trail to the same clue.
;Additional tasks
;Additional note
Airdate: June 26, 2003
This leg's Fast Forward required one team to make their way to Molen van Sloten. There, each team member was strapped onto the sails of a windmill, which was then set in motion. Once the team completed 10 revolutions, the miller would give the Fast Forward award.
This leg's Detour was a choice between 500 Kilograms or 15 Feet. In 500 Kilograms, teams drove to Alkmaar's outdoor market, donned traditional wooden clogs, and used a wooden stretcher to carry cheese from a stockpile to a scale. Once it weighed-in exactly at of cheese, teams received their next clue. In 15 Feet, teams drove to a ranch outside Amsterdam, which processes cow manure into fertilizer, and had to search barehanded through a pile of manure high for the next clue.
The Roadblock required one team member to get on a marked boat, catch 25 eels with their hands, and put them in a marked container. Once all of the eels had been collected, the fisherman would give them their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: July 3, 2003
This leg's Detour was a choice between Suds or Duds. In Suds, teams had to find an outdoor laundromat in Dhobi Ghat near Mahalaxmi railway station and hand-wash a bundle of clothing to reveal the next clue printed on one piece of the clothing. In Duds, teams needed to locate a clothing shop near Kalbadevi Road and search through hundreds of saris to find one with the clue printed on it. To get to either Detour option, teams were required to travel by train or bus.
This leg's Roadblock saw one team member tasked to find a vendor and carry 20 Palai fish out of a large catch of mixed fish to the market manager to receive their next clue.
;Additional task
Airdate: July 10, 2003
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to take part in bull racing and hang onto a team of bulls running at top speed across a mud course the length of a football field without letting go to receive their next clue.
The Detour was a choice between Baskets or Trunks. In Baskets, the teams had to load 10 live chickens into baskets on a bicycle-powered wagon. They then navigated to a farm marked on a map to exchange the chickens for their next clue. In Trunks, the teams had to load 2 bales of coir onto an elephant. They then delivered it to a coir shop, trading their cargo for the next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: July 17, 2003
The Detour was a choice between Net or Trap. In Net, teams had to take their boat to a marked fishing platform and use a net to catch 15 fish out of a marked pen in order to receive their next clue. In Trap, teams had to take their boat to a group of marked lobster boats where they pulled up one weighted lobster trap to get the clue from inside.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to hit three different targets using three Malaysian weapons: a bow and arrow, a blowpipe, and a spear. After hitting all three targets successfully, they and their partner could run to the nearby Pit Stop.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: July 24, 2003
The Fast Forward required one team drive to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary. There, the participants had to hike deep into the forest to find a feeding station in the jungle, feed two pieces of durian to an orangutan, and claim the award.
The Detour in Trushidup Palm Oil Plantation was a choice between Chop or Haul. In Chop, teams had to use local tools to chop down palm nut bunches with a clue attached. However, out of every four envelopes, only one contained the clue. In Haul, teams used a wheelbarrow to carry 25 palm nut bunches to a corresponding truck. When the truck was fully loaded, it would drive away, revealing their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock in the Gomantong Caves, one team member had to climb a rattan ladder to a point above the cave's floor to grab a basket and retrieve their next clue from inside.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: July 31, 2003
In this Roadblock, one team member had to plunge into the icy Hantan River and swim under the ice to an exit hole. Once their body temperature rose to a safe level, a doctor would clear them to leave and give them their next clue.
The Detour was a choice between Strong Hands or Strong Stomach. In Strong Hands, teams used a map to find a marked Taekwondo dojang where each team member had to break three sets of wooden boards to receive their clue. In Strong Stomach, teams used a map to find a marked restaurant where each team member had to eat a Korean delicacy called san-nakji – a dish made of raw octopuses – to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: August 7, 2003
The final Fast Forward of the Race required one team to drive an hour away to a beach on the Sunshine Coast and pass a lifeguard test: by paddling surfboards in a heavy surf, pulling a swimmer out of the water, and returning her safely to the beach. If successful, they could claim the award.
The Detour was a choice between Face First or Foot First. In Face First, teams had to complete a face-first rappel from the penthouse at Holiday Inn hotel to the ground, a descent of, to receive their next clue. In Foot First, teams had to locate a nearby Sheraton building with a Race flag, run on foot downstairs from the penthouse and across the street, then climb 30-stories to the Sheraton's roof where they would receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to put on scuba gear, walk across an aquarium tank filled with 100 sharks and assorted sea creatures, and grab a clue from a small chest.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: August 14, 2003
This leg's Detour was a choice between Saddle or Paddle. In Saddle, teams had to search a stretch of beach on horseback to find one of four Race flags, then search a radius for a cluster of clue envelopes. However, only one cluster contained the correct clue, while the other three instructed them to try again. In Paddle, teams inflated a kayak using a hand pump, pushed the kayak into the ocean, and paddled to an orange buoy to get their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to drive a race buggy at high speeds along a bumpy, muddy, road. After they finished the course and returned to their partner, they would receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: August 21, 2003
The final Detour of the Race at General Aviation Terminal was a choice between Wing It or Wander It. In Wing It, teams had to skydive in tandem with an instructor to reach their next clue in the skydive landing zone. In Wander It, teams first drove to a mangrove forest to find a boat, which they used to navigate out the forest and reach the designated skydive landing zone in order to receive their next clue.
In the final Roadblock of the Race, one team member had to swim out to a floating tiki head, then dive to retrieve a particular rock from the ocean floor. They then carried it back to the beach and smashed it open for the clue inside.
;Additional tasks

U.S. Nielsen ratings