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The Worst Episodes of The Amazing Race

Every episode of The Amazing Race ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Amazing Race!

The Worst Episodes of The Amazing Race

This reality competition sees teams embark on a trek around the world to amazing destinations where they must compete in a series of challenges, some...

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    #1 - Cheaters Never Win --- And They Cheated!

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    S4:E1

    The fourth season premieres, again with twelve teams, this time beginning in LA's Dodger Stadium. The teams rush off and drive to the LAX airport, trying to land seats on one of three airlines. Swiss Air and Lufthansa both depart at the same time; however Swiss Air is scheduled to arrive in Milan a good forty minutes earlier. KLM leaves about an hour later, and will carry the remaining teams. Steve and Josh, apparently wanting to take advantage of a possible alliance with Steve and Dave (the air traffic controllers), buy tickets for them, costing Monica/Sheree and Chip/Reichen their seats on the Swiss Air flight, and their place in line. This leads to accusations of cheatings, as referenced in the episode title. Teams arrive in Milan and must search for their first clue, which was to find charter bus tickets hidden in various spots within the Galleria Victoria, a pedestrian mall. There are three available slot times for bus departures: 2 AM, 4 AM, and 6 AM. Teams are taken to the Dolom

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    #2 - It Doesn't Say Anything About First Come, First Served. And We're Bigger.

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    S4:E2

    The teams continue from the pit stop and participate in Italian snow rafting. They then head to Venice, where they are faced with a Detour: Waterway or Pathway. After the Detour, the teams are all bunched togehter by a five P.M. opening for their location, except for Steve and dave, who use the Fast Forward to advance to first place at the pit stop. The teams participate in the Roadblock, which involves trying to match a photo of a mask with one being worn by someone at a party. However, there are many similar masks, so the task proves somewhat difficult. Chris has extreme difficulty with the task and hands the photo of the mask to the incorrect person twice, each time being forced to go to the back of the line. This creates significant difficulty, as only four racers are allowed in at a time. He finally finds the correct person, but it is too late and he and Amanda reach the pit stop last and are eliminated from the race.

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    #3 - I Wasn't Even Going to Touch You Until You Slammed My Head Backwards!

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    S4:E3

    The teams travel from Italy to Vienna, Austria. There, horse-riding creates confusion when teams fail to follow a clue that states that you must grab a tag before boarding the horses. A Detour - Mozart or Beethoven creates confusion and tension when teams realize that the Beethoven option was as simple as it sounded. And Steve and Dave, after claiming the Fast Forward the previous week, fall far behind, but a stroke of luck keeps them in the race and Cindy and Russell are eliminated.

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    #4 - Check Your Tires Because...Oh God, You Never Know What'll Happen!

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    S4:E4

    The teams start by traveling to France. Transportation confusion with trains and jets causes some teams into the lead to fall behind, while others reach the route marker in France early. There, they're surprised to find themselves faced with a Roadblock rather than a Detour. The Roadblock involves changing the tires on a race car and then doing a lap with a professional driver. All teams succesfully complete the task and then head to the next location, a lighthouse over 500 miles away. However, they find themselves all bunched together by the morning opening hours. Some teams check into a hotel, while others choose to wait by the side of the road. When Tian and Jaree arrive the next morning, after checking into a hotel, they're escorted to a parking spot by police. However, the teams on the side of the road cry foul, thinking that they're cutting in line. In the end, the original line is preserved and the fussing was for nothing. The teams receive a clue taking them to the Georges de B

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    #5 - You Are Just Deliberately Trying to Make Us Lose!

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    S4:E5

    The teams travel from France to Amsterdam, Holland. Most teams are able to get flights, but David and Jeff and Steve and Dave have to head to another airport and lose critical time when they are caught in a bad traffic jam. In Amsterdam, teams must go boating to a museum and this leads to massive confusion, particularly for the team of Tian and Jaree. In the Detour, teams must choose between 500 Kg or 15 Feet. In 500 Kg, they drive 30 miles and then weight out 500 Kg of cheese and in 15 ft., they have to drive only 12 miles and search through cow manure for their clue. Most teams go for the cow manure, but a couple of them opt for the cheese. Afterwards, they face a Roadblock in which they must gather 25 live eels. In the end, despite serious fighting between Tian and Jaree, they manage to squeak past Steve and Dave, who, after narrowly escaping elimination in past weeks, are eliminated from the race.

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    #6 - I Could Never Have Been Prepared for What I'm Looking at Right Now

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    S4:E6

    The teams travel to India, where they are shocked by condition of some of the locals and also face a harowing train ride.

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    #7 - We're Going Down the Wrong Side of the Freeway... and the Lights Are Off!

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    S4:E7

    The teams continue to southern India. After a long train ride, they face a Roadblock that involves being dragged through mud by bulls and a Detour choice between chickens and elephants.

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    #8 - The Princess Reminded Me of My Grandmother. She Was Very Old but Still Very, Very with It

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    S4:E8

    At the opening of the episode, Reichen and Chip reveal to the remaining teams that they are a couple and have been married for a year now - it's their one-year anniversary. Reichen discusses how he quit the Air Force so he could be with Chip and Millie and Chuck also talk about how they've been together for twelve years and then got engaged before the race. The teams are given $120 for the leg, which sends them from India to Kotakinabalu, Malaysisa, over 5,000 miles away. The teams jockey for position to get faster flights, with Jon and Al, Millie and Chuck and David and Jeff ending up at the front of the pack, despite an initial blunder by Reichen and Chip. David and Jeff and Kelly and Jon trail not far behind. The teams finally reach Malaysia, where, after participating in a traditional ceremony of good blessing, they head on to a Detour: Net or Trap. In ""Net,"" the teams have to catch fifteen fish, while in trap, they have to hoist a huge lobster trap in order to get a clue. After co

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    #9 - We're Not at Charm School Learning How to Be a Gentleman, We're Racing

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    S4:E9

    To begin the episode, the teams have to drive 78 miles from their pit stop to a hot springs and cross a rickety bridge to get their clue. All teams arrive in time for the 6:30 A.M. opening and a footrace is on. The teams are then given a clue to drive a 145 miles to an oil plantation. This quickly leads to confusion, with two teams getting lost. Kelly and Jon realize they have no idea where they're going and choose to opt for the Fast Forward. They feel it is a safe bet, as they don't figure it would be to any of the other teams' benefit to go for the Fast Forward. Unbeknownst to them, though, Reichen and Chip have already accidentally headed down the road for the Fast Forward and, once they realize what they've done, they decide to continue down that road to claim it. While this occurs, Jon and Al have made their way to the Detour. Called ""Chop / Haul,"" the teams are given a choice between chopping down fruits to find their clue in an envelope, or hauling 25 heavy bundles of fruit int

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    #10 - That's Me. That's My Face. Just Hit My Face. Hit My Face!

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    S4:E10

    The teams begin in Borneo, where they receive a clue telling them to head to a temple. There, they have to search for a Buddha figurine that contains the names of the respective members of their teams. All teams complete the task and receive a clue to go to the airport and get to Seoul, South Korea, which is approximately 4,000 miles away. Despite a rule that requires the teams to leave for the airport in vans at one-hour intervals, the teams all end up together at the airport. There, they take a plane that heads to Singapore and then connects to Seoul. Once at Singapore, two teams, David and Jeff and Jon and Al find that a flight heading to Hong Kong will arrive in Seoul one hour earlier. They take this flight and form a sort of alliance, arriving in Seoul first. Once in Seoul, the teams find a clue that takes them to an icy area close to the South Korean border. This creates confusion, with David and Jeff getting lost and having a harrowing experience when their taxi driver takes the

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    #11 - Such a Nice Pheremone Smell to You; Just Makes Me Want to Stay Close to You

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    S4:E11

    The teams begin at their Pit Stop in Seoul, South Korea and receive a clue that takes them to a task that involves traditional South Korean kites. Phil helpfully narrates that one of the teams will be eliminated in this leg. The teams all complete the kite task, although some have more difficulty than others. The clue they receive tells them to make their way to Brisbane, Australia, over 7,000 miles away. All teams pull even when they find out the airport doesn't open until 6 A.M. However, believing they are in last place, David and Jeff consider the Fast Forward. At the airport, the teams find a number of options for flights. Kelly and Jon, David and Jeff and Reichen and Chip all end up on the same flight together, but Jon and Al chose a different flight and it gets delayed by fog, forcing it to take off after every other flight in the line. Jon and Al try to beg their way onto the other flight, but are told that due to security reasons, it can't accept passengers at the last minute.

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    #12 - He's a Few Ticks Away from Having a Heart Attack!

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    S4:E12

    At the Pit Stop in Australia, the teams receive a clue telling them to drive 80 miles to Australian woolshed. There, they'll receive further instructions on how to receive their next clue. They're given only $1 for this leg of the race. David and Jeff reflect at the beginning of the race reflect on how their being analytical gives them an edge, while Kelly and Jon note that they've been saving up money. When the teams arrive at the woolshed, they find that it does not open until 6 A.M and therefore, they're all going to be grouped together. Once the woolshed opens, they all race in and find that they each have to search through a giant pile of wool for the clue. Kelly and Jon are the first to find the clue, which directs them to the airport. They have to fly 1,000 miles to Cairnes. Chip and Reichen find the clue second and David and Jeff, despite having some difficulties at first, soon find the clue buried in some wool they had already looked through. The teams all catch a 7:45 flight

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    #13 - It's Like Adam Building His First House!

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    S4:E13

    The teams begin at their Pit Stop in Ellis Beach, Australia. It's the twelfth and final pit stop in this race around the world. The first team to depart is David and Jeff, followed by Chip and Reichen and then Kelly and Jon. The clue tells them to drive to an Aboriginal Cultural Park. Like the previous leg, they have one dollar for this leg of the race. The teams all arrive at the cultural park, which doesn't open until 6 A.M. At that time, they all head in and watch a traditional ceremony. Afterwards, they receive a clue telling them to drive fifteen miles to the general aviation terminal at the airport in Cairnes. The teams all get into a driving race to get there and Chip and Reichen end up going so fast that their vehicles spins off the road. Still, they're okay and they all reach the clue at the general aviation terminal. It's a Detour: ""Wing It"" or ""Wander It."" In ""Wing It,"" the teams must skydive out of a plane to their clue, with the help of an instructor. In ""Wander It,"" they

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    #14 - Clearly, I'm More Intelligent Than You

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    S5:E1

    The teams take off from Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles. Viewers learn about a couple of interesting twists: those who finish last on non-elimination legs will be penalized and there's a new element in play called the Yield. The Yield allows a team to keep any other team from racing for a set period of time, but it can only be used once during the race. The teams scramble to catch flights, some not realizing that the flight that departs later actually arrives at their destination, Urugauy, first. The teams navigate through a series of clues, catching ferries and carrying meat to finally reach the game's first Detour: Zips or Chips. Jim is injured early, but still manages to make the fast flight. Two teams make a critical mistake and are sent away from the pit stop, but still manage to make it without being eliminated.

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    #15 - It Turned Ugly Just Now

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    S5:E2

    The teams head to Montevideo in Uruguay, where they visit a foam discoteque and pop rubber balls to find clues. They all end up in the same ferry and feel the pressure of being bunched together after having been in various positions. They travel to Buenos Aires, where they take part in a Detour, Perro or Tango, in which you have to choose between walking eight dogs for about a mile, or instead first travel about a mile and a half for the Tango. In the Tango, the teams receive a photo and then try to identify one man from a group of people dancing the tango. The Tango turns out to be the better choice, because the dog-walking takes a long time and the dogs are difficult to control. After completing one of those two, the teams participate in a Roadblock in which they have to remove a scarf from a calf. Fortunes change for the teams, as many who were behind end up advancing, while Alison and Donny are eliminated.

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    #16 - I Got Electrocuted

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    S5:E3

    The teams travel from the La Portena pit stop to San Carlos de Bariloche by plane. There, after finding the mayor, they participate in a Roadblock that involves finding one of twenty chocolates with white filling from a group of 11,000. Marshall and Lance struggle with the challenge, while Jim and Marsha fall behind after catching a late flight. After completing the Roadblock, the teams head to a scenic mountain for the Detour. Though given a choice between Smooth Sailing (paragliding) and Rough Riding (mountain biking six miles), all teams choose the much faster paragliding option. They then make their way to the pit stop at an unnamed island on Bahia Lopez. Jim and Marsha fight hard to remain in the race, but arrive too late and are eliminated.

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    #17 - Who Says Pageant Girls Don't Eat?

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    S5:E4

    The eight teams receive a clue telling them to get from the Pit Stop to the Battleship Aurora --- its guns signaled the start of the Russian Revolution. The trip is long, a twenty-hour bus ride, followed by a 8,000 mile flight to Russia. The jockeying and bickering immediately begin at the bus station, but some patient planning pays off for a few teams who take a later bus that makes less stops and then visit a travel agent. Some unfortunate airport luck leaves Bob and Joyce catching a later flight and striving to remain in the race. In St. Petersburg, Russia, the teams get a Detour clue to choose either a hockey challenge: Block Five Shots, or a drinking challenge: drink one shot. The choices are about evenly split and no team has a particularly tough time at the Detour. What many do have a very tough time with is the Roadblock, which involves eating two pounds of caviar. Christie struggles and her and Colin's lead evaporates, along with Brandon and Nicole, when Nicole passes out. Tea

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    #18 - Are You Good at Puzzles?

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    S5:E5

    The teams start at the Pit Stop, Catherine's Palace, where they're then directed to head to St. Petersburg and find a painting in an art museum: Rembrandt's ""The Return of the Prodigal Son."" The teams are then instructed to fly 2,000 miles to Cairo, Egypt. The teams consider their flight options and Colin and Christie score big by doing their research. They score a flight that arrives many hours before the others and Fast Forward into the lead with a task that involves transporting a sarcophagus. They check in to a nice lead at Egypt's Sphinx. The other teams arrive in Egypt where they take part in a Roadblock: Who's up for going down? They must carry up a bag of artifacts from a deep hole. They then take part in the Detour: Rock and Roll or Hump and Ride. In an odd twist, only Charla and Mirna get the Hump and Ride option because this horse-riding task shuts down at 5:30 P.M. The other teams must haul rocks and Linda and Karen are the last team to check in. They're not eliminated, but

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    #19 - Why Can't We Get a Camel?

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    S5:E6

    The teams continue racing in Egypt, logging more flight time as they head to the Karnak Temple. Colin and Christie find that opening times cause their large lead to evaporate, but they manage to get in some much-needed extra sleep. The teams participate in a Detour – Herd It or Haul it. The herding involves traveling five miles and then herding sheep and goats, while the hauling is a three mile trip and then hauling water on a slow donkey. Although only two teams choose the hauling option, it seems to be the faster. The teams then participate in a Roadblock in which one team-member becomes an archaeologist and they search for scarabs. The episode ends in a surprise ending with something that has never before happened on The Amazing Race.

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    #20 - Are You Sure This Is Safe?

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    S5:E7

    The teams travel from Crocodile Island to Nairobi, Kenya, where anticipation builds at the idea of traveling to a Mystery Location. After high tension at an airport, two teams book what they hope will be a faster flight, but find that a delay places them in the back of the pack. Once in Kenya, the teams take buses to a Detour: Buzzing or Busy. The Buzzing option is potentially faster and involves collecting honey from a hive of Africanized bees, while the Busy option involves furniture delivery. All teams opt to stay away from the bees and deliver the furniture. They then make their way to a Roadblock in which the task is to eat scrambled ostrich egg - an amount that's about twenty times that of a single chicken egg. It's a close call, but in the end a team that was a favorite of many is eliminated from The Amazing Race.

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    #21 - I'm Going to Jail

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    S5:E8

    The teams get in a cab race for charter flights, and Colin becomes upset when his driver takes him to the airport on a spare tire that ends up going flat. He tries to pay only half of a hundred dollar fare, but ends up paying the entire thing when the driver threatens legal action. Linda and Karen end up on a very late flight, but all teams find that the flight order didn't matter so much when they get to their destination and learn that there's a large break until the opening time of 8 A.M. The teams all travel to the port of Dubai, where they find themselves with a Detour choice of Off-Plane or Off-Road. Teams doing Off-Plane will find themselves sky-diving, while those in Off-Road have to drive off-road vehicles along a marked course. Both could be good options, depending on the various teams strengths and the fact that the planes for Off-Plane only leave every 45 minutes. Brandon and Nicole and Kami and Karli choose the plane option, while Linda and Karen, Colin and Christie, and C

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    #22 - If You're Gonna Whine, Just Shut Up!

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    S5:E9

    In this leg of the race, the teams travel from Dubai to Calcutta, India. Linda and Karen find themselves facing the law this time over a cab dispute, but with a far different reason and resolution than that of the Colin and Christie situation in the previous episode. Once in Calcutta, all teams initially take part in a brick-making Roadblock. When it proves an especially rough challenge for one team, they try opting for the Fast Forward, only to balk when they find it invovles shaving their heads. Therefore, all teams participate in the Heavy but Short / Light But Long Detour, all choosing Heavy But Short. After pushing taxicabs with the help of locals for a half-mile, they make their way to the pit stop: Victoria Memorial. The last place team finds themselves giving up hope, but is greeted with a big surprise.

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    #23 - If They're Screwing the Helmet to My Head, It Can't Be Good

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    S5:E10

    The teams receive a clue telling them to travel over 6,000 miles from Calcutta, India to Auckland, New Zeland. Then, they must drive an additional 220 miles to Rotorua, New Zealand. Flight struggles initially put one team behind, but then confusion over directions moves them into a surprise lead. The teams take part in a Detour: Clean or Dirty. The Clean option involves a scary water rafting trip, while the Dirty option involves searching for a clue in hot mud. Colin and Christie, Linda and Karen, and Chip and Kim choose the Clean option, while Brandon and Nicole and Kami and Karli opt to get dirty. A questionable decision on the part of one racer makes for an intense battle to avoid elimination. The teams complete a Roadblock that involves rolling down a hill inside a Zorb ball, then walking across a final line. They then check in at the Pit Stop, but it's finally too late for one team and they are eliminated.

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    #24 - It's Okay, Run Them Over!

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    S5:E11

    The teams take off from the Pit Stop in New Zealand to the Westhaven Marina, where they face a Roadblock that involves scaling heights and then doing a controlled leap into a boat. Afterwards, the teams receive a clue telling them to travel over 5,000 miles to Manila, Philippines. One team lands seats on a flight that they hope will put them far ahead, but finds that flight delays and a missed connection place them together with the rest of the teams. Once in the Philippines, the teams take a part in a task to decorate jeepnees, a remnant of the American World War II presence. One team, though, must wait when they arrive only to find another team has exercised their Yield option on them. Afterwards, the teams do a Detour: Plow or Fowl. All teams choose the Plow option, which involves using an ox to plow for a clue, as opposed to the Fowl, which would have involved herding a thousand geese. All teams find themselves in a high-stakes bus and taxi race to the Coconut Palace Pit Stop, but

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    #25 - You've Just Made Me a Millionaire

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    S5:E12

    The teams set off from the Coconut Palace in Manila, Philippines, knowing that one team will be eliminated. Intense battles and struggles ensue as the teams make their way to El Nido on two charter flights, then struggle with a challenge that involves finding an island with the flag of the Philippines. The mistake of one team costs them dearly, but in the end, a Roadblock that involves rapelling up a high cliff proves the undoing of another. The remaining teams head into the final leg, which finds them all on a flight to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There, they all struggle to hike up a long hill and then receive a clue telling them to head to Olympic Park. There, they face a detour: Slide or Ride, in which they must either complete a luge course in 34 seconds, or complete a challenging biking course in three minutes. One team attempts and fails the bike course, but all teams eventually end up completing the luge. The teams then make their way to the final destination of Dallas, Texas, wh

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Cheaters Never Win --- And They Cheated!" is the worst rated episode of "The Amazing Race". It scored N/A/10 based on 0 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 5/29/2003. This episode scored NaN points lower than the second lowest rated, "It Doesn't Say Anything About First Come, First Served. And We're Bigger.".