The Amazing Race 23: Episode 3 Recap

The Amazing Race 2013 returns tonight on CBS with the nine remaining teams traveling from Chile to Lisbon, Portugal. One team will take a huge risk in hopes of a big reward and a newly formed alliance is already in trouble. Who will pull the sword from the stone on The Amazing Race tonight and win this leg “King Arthur Style”? Join us for our live recap of season 23, episode 23 and find out who went home on The Amazing Race 23 this week!

Last week, Rowan & Shane were the last team to arrive at the final stop and were eliminated. On the show tonight, the teams will be racing through Lisbon, Portugal with the hope they won’t be the next ones to be sent home. The teams will face several tough challenges, including tracing out Magellan’s sailing route and calculating the distance he sailed using navigation tools. And, of course, the teams will also go at it “King Arthur Style” with some medieval combat.

Since last week was an elimination leg, it is possible the last team to arrive this week won’t be booted out of the race — but you can never count on that as it’s always unpredictable when the non-elimination legs will happen.

The 9 remaining teams are: Chester & Ephraim, Leo & Jamal, Brandon & Adam, Nicole & Travis, Jason & Amy, Tim & Danny, Ally & Ashley, Tim & Marie, and Nicky & Kim. Nicky and Kim are at the bottom of the pack this week after coming in second-to-last. Chester and Ephraim came in first and start off this episode in first place.

Our live The Amazing Race 23 recap starting at 8PM ET below. Please be sure to refresh this page for the latest updates from the episode as it is happening!

Chester & Ephraim take the lead in the race to kick off the episode tonight but soon run into trouble. Somehow, Travis & Nicole and several other teams manage to sneak onto an earlier flight at 7:00 AM. Chester & Ephraim were supposed to be on that flight but their travel agent messed up. The agent tries to fix things by giving them flight with two connections that is supposed to get them their earlier but then one of their flights gets delayed, messing everything up. Amy & Jason also run into some bad luck when the taxi they take to the airport gets into an accident. Ooops!

Leo & Jamal and Ally & Ashley get on a flight all together. Tim & Danny were going to join them but find an earlier arrival flight and jump ship. Nicky & Kim try to get on a 5:00 PM flight and manage to get the first spot on a waiting list with several other teams are trying to get on a standby flight. Nicky & Kim grab tickets, leaving Tim & Marie to wait and they are pissed. Especially Marie, who is angry that she got trounced by the other teams. Finally, everyone has a flight out of Chile but they are scattered like leaves and it’s anyone’s guess who will end up arriving in Lisbon when!

Tim & Marie and Chester & Ephraim seem to be running behind all the others. Chester & Ephraim miss their last connecting flight and have to get new tickets but hope they still might be in the game.

After arriving in Lisbon, the teams will take a train from Martim Moniz Square to the top of a hill for their next clue. Travis & Nicole, Jason & Amy and Nicky & Kim seem to be the teams who have arrived first and are ahead of the rest of the pack on this leg so far. They pick up the next clue in the form of a painting they have to puzzle out is directing them to the Museu Nacional dos Coches.

Up next is a Detour choice of Miles or Tiles. In the Miles challenge, the teams have to figure out how far Magellan traveled using giant navigation tools and get it right within 500 miles. For the Tiles challenge, the teams have to put together a life-size puzzle using fragile tile pieces. Travis & Nicole and Jason & Amy decide to work together on the Miles Detour. Nicky & Kim decide to do the Tiles challenge. The Miles teams finish first and are given their next clue to go to the Clube Portugues de Trio a Chumbo.

Nicole & Travis are now running in first place and they reach the Road Block first, with Jason & Amy right with them. One of each team has to put on a suit of armor and use medieval weapons to hit shield targets 150 feet away. Jason hits it first while Travis misses and Jason & Amy are off to the next part of the leg. After conquering this challenge, it is on to the final Pit Stop at Castelo dos Mouros.

Nicky & Kim are finally done with their puzzle at the Detour and hit the Road Block and do some archery. Tim & Danny and Brandon & Adam are working together to get their next clue. Jason & Amy get lost in their taxi on the way to the next stop while Travis keeps trying to hit his target and missing. Finally he manages to beat the challenge and Travis & Nicole are back in the race to the Pit Stop.

Jason & Amy have to turn around and go back so they are now behind. Nicole & Travis beat them to the Pit Stop and are the first to check in. They win a trip to Costa Rica. Amy & Jason are next to the Pit Stop and come in second place.

Jamal & Leo and Ally & Ashley have now finally arrived in Lisbon and start working on their first clue. Marie & Tim arrive after them and think they may be the last team but they do have an Express Pass. They aren’t actually last though. Chester & Ephraim have been delayed again and are still in London. They have almost no chance at all of catching up at this point.

Adam & Brandon have chosen to do the Tiles Detour challenge, while Tim & Danny are doing the Miles navigation challenge. So the two teams aren’t working together on this one. Meanwhile, Nicky & Kim arrive at the Pit Stop to come in third place for this leg. Tim & Danny are working on the slings and arrows Road Block and Leo & Jamal still can’t quite figure out the Miles Detour challenge. Ally & Ashley give up on the Miles challenge and switch over to the Tiles Detour instead.

Danny & Tim have moved on to the slings and arrows Road Block and Danny manages to hit the target without too much struggle. They head off to the Pit Stop. Brandon & Adam are right behind them and Adam gets the target on the first try and they are headed to the Pit Stop as well. Tim & Danny land in fourth place for this leg with Brandon & Adam in fifth place. Meanwhile, Leo & Jamal decide to ditch the Miles and try the Tiles Detour again.

Marie & Tim are now at the Tiles Detour challenge as well. Ally & Ashley get their Tiles puzzle done and head out for the Road Block. Leo & Jamal push Tim & Marie to get them to use the Express Pass so they won’t have it anymore. Leo & Jamal finish their Tiles puzzle and are off to the Pit Stop, leaving Marie and Tim behind and not happy campers at all. Marie takes charge and finally they manage to complete the puzzle and NOT use their Express Pass.

Ally & Ashley get to the Road Block and Ally smacks her target with an arrow pretty quickly. Leo & Jamal are right in front of them and the two teams reach the Pit Stop together. Leo & Jamal end up in sixth place with Ally & Ashley in seventh place.

Tim & Marie finally reach the Pit Stop and host Phil Keoghan tells them they are “the last team to arrive” and they look devastated… and then he says, “except one!” They collapse in happiness that they are not last and will not be eliminated.

At the Lisbon airport, Chester & Ephraim have finally arrived and they won’t even get a chance to do any of the challenges. All of the other teams reached the Pit Stop and they never even started on the first one. Host Phil Keoghan is right there at the airport to greet them and tell them they are last and have been eliminated from the race. From first to last and then eliminated just like that. That’s gotta hurt!