The Amazing Race 17

CBS renewed the 17th season of The Amazing Race on January 25, 2010.[3] The season spanned 32,000 miles (51,000 km) while racing across four continents with first-time visits to Ghana and Bangladesh. Teams also crossed the Arctic Circle for the first time in the show's history.[4]

The starting line was at the Eastern Point Yacht Club near the lighthouse in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Filming began on May 26, 2010, with the starting line at the Eastern Point Yacht Club in Gloucester, Massachusetts,[1] and finished on June 15, 2010,[2] in Los Angeles, California.

Prior to the season's broadcast, CBS posted a short preview video clip from an episode on the Internet, showing Brook & Claire competing at a watermelon launching challenge using an elastic slingshot. The clip showed Claire being hit in the face full-on with a watermelon after it failed to launch correctly from the slingshot, leaving her momentarily stunned but otherwise not seriously injured. The clip spread virally on the Internet.[5]

Two new game elements were introduced in season 17. The first was the Express Pass, which was awarded to the team who finished first on the first Leg. The Express Pass allowed the team to skip any one task before Leg 8. The other new element was the Double U-Turn, where two teams were able to use U-Turns in a single leg.

The prehistoric monument of Stonehenge in England served as the first destination of The Amazing Race 17.

• Episode 1: "They Don't Call It The Amazing Race For Nothin!" (September 26, 2010)
• Prize: Express Pass (awarded to Jill & Thomas)
• Eliminated: Ron & Tony

Locations

• Gloucester, Massachusetts (Eastern Point Yacht Club) (Starting Line)
• Boston (Logan International Airport) → London, England
• Amesbury (Stonehenge)
• Ledbury (Eastnor Castle)

Episode summary

• Teams set off from the Eastern Point Yacht Club in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and made their way to Logan International Airport, where they had to book one of two flights to London, England. The first three teams were booked on an American Airlines flight, while the other teams were booked on a Virgin Atlantic flight that departed a half-hour later. Once there, teams had to drive to Stonehenge in Amesbury in order to find their clue, which was a riddle: "Find the castle that is the opposite of Nor'easter". They had to figure out that their next destination was Eastnor Castle.
• At Eastnor Castle, teams had to climb a ladder on an exterior wall while peasants standing atop the wall taunted them and poured dirty water on them. Once they scaled the wall, they had to retrieve a medieval flag and then use a coracle to cross the castle's moat and bring the flag to a knight, who gave them their next clue.
• In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to travel on horseback to a tournament area and use a giant slingshot to launch a watermelon and knock over a suit of armor standing 50 feet (15 m) away in order to receive their next clue directing teams to search the nearby castle grounds for the Pit Stop.

Additional notes

• While performing the Roadblock, Claire's slingshot became twisted and launched the watermelon back at her, where it smacked her in the face. CBS released a clip of this scene before the season premiere and it became a viral phenomenon.[12] Claire was stunned, but not otherwise seriously injured.[13]
• Ron & Tony were unable to perform the coracle task. Already in last place, production informed them to swim across the moat without applying a penalty. Ron then performed the Roadblock, which was unaired.[14][15]

One of the Detour tasks showed the Ga custom of having coffins designed after the decedent's job in life.

• Episode 2: "A Kiss Saves the Day" (October 3, 2010)
• Prize: A trip to Oahu & Kauai (awarded to Brook & Claire)
• Eliminated: Andie & Jenna

Locations

• Ledbury (Eastnor Castle)
• London → Accra, Ghana
• Accra (Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park)
• Accra (Makola Market)
• Teshie (Peace Motor Spare Parts)
• Teshie (Adom Electronics or Emmanuel's Woodshop & Hello Coffin Showroom)
• Accra (Kaneshie Market)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Accra, Ghana. Once there, teams had to travel to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in order to find their next clue, which directed them to the Makola Market.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to sell enough sunglasses to make GH₵15 (roughly $10) in order to receive their next clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to travel to Peace Motor Spare Parts in Teshie in order to find their next clue.
• This season's first Detour was a choice between Tune In or Check Out. In Tune In, teams had to travel to Adom Electronics, pick up a television antenna, bring it to a marked house, and set it up to the customer's preference. Once the television picked up a proper signal, the homeowner gave teams their next clue. In Check Out, teams had to bring a fantasy coffin from Emmanuel's Woodshop to a showroom across town in order to receive their next clue.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Kaneshie Market.

In the Language Arts Detour, teams had to find eight adinkra symbols in a massive puzzle akin to a word search.

• Episode 3: "In Phil We Trust" (October 10, 2010)
• Prize: US$5,000 for each team member (awarded to Connor & Jonathan)

Locations

• Accra (Kaneshie Market)
• Accra (Jamestown – Akotoku Boxing Academy)
• Dodowa (Supply Depot)
• Dodowa (Asebi D/A Primary School)
• Doryumu (Home of Awusa Ntso)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams had to make their way to the Akotoku Boxing Academy in Jamestown, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to perform a boxing workout. After wrapping their hands properly, they had to punch a punching bag and then jump rope for 60 seconds on each exercise without stopping in order to receive their next clue from their boxing trainer.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to make their way to the supply depot in Dodowa, where they had to load up two wheelbarrows with building supplies and then deliver them to the Asebi D/A Primary School. Once there, teams had to join a geography class studying a map of Africa. While the children located other nations in Africa, teams had to correctly locate Ghana on the map in order to receive their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Bicycle Parts or Language Arts. In Bicycle Parts, both team members had to use a stick to roll a bicycle wheel's rim down the length of a soccer field and back without touching the rim with their hands or letting it fall over in order to receive their next clue. In Language Arts, teams chose a proverb with eight highlighted phrases that corresponded to a series of eight Adinkra symbols. Using a nearby decoder key, teams had to locate the eight symbols in a massive word search-like puzzle and circle the correct set of Adinkra symbols in order to receive their next clue.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the home of Awusa Ntso in Doryumu. After checking in, teams helped renovate the school that they visited during this leg.

Additional note

• This was a non-elimination leg.

Teams traveled to the Icehotel in Swedish Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle, where Michael & Kevin sat on ice chairs for their Speed Bump.

• Episode 4: "We Should Have Brought Gloves and Butt Pads" (October 17, 2010)
• Prize: A trip to Belize (awarded to Nat & Kat)
• Eliminated: Connor & Jonathan

Locations

• Doryumu (Home of Awusa Ntso)
• Accra → Kiruna, Sweden
• Jukkasjärvi (Icehotel)
• Poikkijärvi (in Swedish) (Fjellborg's Lodge)
• Riksgränsen (Vassijaure Railway Station (in Swedish))
• Riksgränsen (Swedish–Norwegian Border)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Kiruna, Sweden. Once there, teams had drive to the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, where they had to pick up a block of ice from the storage room. Teams then had to figure out that their next location was etched on their block of ice: Pietaras Järvivägen Fjellborgs Vid Väkkäräjärvi (Fjellborg's Lodge in Poikkijärvi).
• For their Speed Bump, Michael & Kevin had to sit on chairs made of ice in the Icehotel for ten minutes before they could continue racing.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to choose a sled dog team and hitch them to a summer training sled. They then had to take the dogs on a course to a hunter's camp, collect five different flags along the way, trade the flags for fur pelts at the end, and then bring the pelts back to the lodge for their next clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to drive to the Vassijaure Railway Station in Riksgränsen, where they found their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Sleds or Beds. In Sleds, teams had to use TechSleds to race down a mountain course in less than 1 minute and 58 seconds in order to receive their next clue. In Beds, teams had to properly build a traditional Sami dwelling known as a goahti and furnish the inside with furs and a fire pit in order to receive their next clue. Jill & Thomas used their Express Pass to bypass this Detour.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the Swedish–Norwegian Border in Riksgränsen.

Additional note

• Due to limited availability of flights from Accra, teams were given tickets on a flight to Kiruna via Frankfurt, Germany, but they were under no obligation to use them.

The Roadblock in Norway required racers to rappel down and then ascend the Skjomen Bridge.

• Episode 5: "Tastes Like a Million Dollars" (October 24, 2010)
• Prize: A trip to Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica (awarded to Nat & Kat)
• Eliminated: Katie & Rachel

Locations

• Riksgränsen (Swedish–Norwegian Border)
• Narvik, Norway (Fagernesfjellet Mountain)
• Vidrek (Stornaustet Restaurant)
• Skjomen (Skjomen Bridge)
• Sandtorg (Hårvika)
• Ankenesstranda (Ankenes Marina)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams had to drive to Narvik, Norway. Once there, teams had to ride the gondola to the top of the Fagernesfjellet Mountain, where they found their next clue.
• In this season's only Fast Forward, one team had to drive themselves to the Stornaustet immersive restaurant in Vidrek and eat an entire serving of smalahove: a boiled sheep's head. Nat & Kat won the Fast Forward.
• Teams who chose to not attempt the Fast Forward had to drive to the Skjomen Bridge, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to rappel off the Skjomen Bridge and then signal for one of two waiting boats to give them their next clue. After retrieving the clue from the boat, the team member had to use a mechanical ascender to return to the bridge deck.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to drive to Hårvika in Sandtorg in order to find their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Bike or Boat. In Bike, teams had to ride a bicycle along a course to a sign, where combinations of numbers and colors were shown. Teams then had to memorize the combination of the color that matched the color on their bicycle lock, return to the starting point, and then use the combination to unlock their next clue. In Boat, teams had to use a map for reference to navigate a fishing trawler to a specific location. They then had to deliver two cod and a chainsaw to a summer lodge in order to receive their next clue.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the Ankenes Marina in Ankenesstranda.

After arriving in Saint Petersburg, teams had to find the Rostral Columns on the spit of Vasilyevsky Island in order to find their clue.

• Episode 6: "Run, Babushka, Run" (October 31, 2010)
• Prize: A trip to São Paulo, Brazil (awarded to Jill & Thomas)

Locations

• Ankenesstranda (Ankenes Marina)
• Narvik → Stockholm, Sweden
• Stockholm → Saint Petersburg, Russia
• Saint Petersburg (Vasilyevsky Island – Rostral Columns)
• Saint Petersburg (Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace or Lenfilm)
• Saint Petersburg (Palace Square)
• Saint Petersburg (Alexandrovskaya (in Russian) – Neighborhood Store)
• Saint Petersburg (Alexander Garden)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by train to Stockholm, Sweden, and then fly to Saint Petersburg, Russia. Once there, teams had to find the Rostral Columns on Vasilyevsky Island in order to find their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Classical Music or Classic Cinema. In Classical Music, teams had to travel to Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace and listen to three different compositions – Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, and Tchaikovsky's Troika – playing on three numbered gramophones. They then entered a music hall full of pianists playing several different compositions and had to take a copy of the sheet music from the pianist playing one of the three compositions. Once the correct compositions were placed in the correct order, they received their next clue. In Classic Cinema, teams had to travel to Lenfilm and search through several hundred filmstrips until they found one matching the film playing in the theater: Sergei Eisenstein's October: Ten Days That Shook the World. When they showed the correct filmstrip to the projectionist, they received their next clue. Depending on which Detour task they completed, teams were given either a record or a film canister with a photo of the location of their next clue: Palace Square.
• From Palace Square, teams had to travel to the neighborhood store of Alexandrovskaya in order to find their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to dress up like a babushka, pick up a sack of fifty potatoes, and fill a wheelbarrow with cow manure. A babushka then showed them how to properly plant the potatoes. Once the potatoes were planted, they received their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop: the Alexander Garden, adjacent to Saint Isaac's Cathedral.

Additional note

• This was a non-elimination leg.

While in Saint Petersburg, teams participated in a "Russian mystery" task where they were brought to the city's famous landmarks, including the Church on Spilled Blood.

• Episode 7: "I Want to Be in the Circus, That's Where I Belong" (November 7, 2010)
• Prize: US$5,000 for each team member (awarded to Nat & Kat)
• Eliminated: Michael & Kevin

Locations

• Saint Petersburg (Alexander Garden)
• Saint Petersburg (Avtovo Circus)
• Saint Petersburg (Bank Bridge)
• Saint Petersburg (1 Vladimirsky Prospekt Tower)
• Saint Petersburg (Church on Spilled Blood)
• Saint Petersburg (Peter and Paul Fortress – Gorodki Courts)
• Saint Petersburg (Peter and Paul Fortress – Naryshkin Bastion)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams had to make their way to the Avtovo Circus in Saint Petersburg, where they found their next clue.
• This leg's circus-inspired Detour was a choice between Circus Band or Circus Clown. In Circus Band, team members had to learn and correctly play a Russian folk song – Ivan Larionov's "Kalinka" – on the accordion in order to receive their next clue. In Circus Clown, teams had to learn plate spinning and get ten plates to spin simultaneously for ten seconds without falling in order to receive their clue.
• After the Detour, teams began a "Russian mystery" task. The first clue was to find the canal bridge guarded by four creatures with golden wings: Bank Bridge. The next clue told teams to travel on foot to the tower at 1 Vladimirsky Prospekt. At the top of the tower, only one team member was allowed to look around for a clue to the next location: a figurine of the Church on Spilled Blood. After locating the figurine, teams then had to walk to the church to get their next clue: "What am I? Peter the Great is buried inside me. The writer Dostoevsky was imprisoned within me. Find me and then search for the Gorodki Courts." Teams had to figure out that their destination was the Peter and Paul Fortress, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to clear three gorodki pin formations by tossing a wooden bat in order to receive their next clue. After two attempts at a formation, the pins would be reset.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the Naryshkin Bastion at the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Teams ended this leg in Oman's Sultanate Palace, the Al Alam Palace, in the center of Muscat.

• Episode 8: "Ali Baba in a Suit" (November 14, 2010)
• Prize: A trip for two to Ambergris Caye in Belize (awarded to Chad & Stephanie)
• Eliminated: Gary & Mallory

Locations

• Saint Petersburg (Senate Square – Bronze Horseman)
• Saint Petersburg → Muscat, Oman
• Muscat (Riyam Park – Burj Al Mubkharah)
• Al Hamra (Jebel Shams)
• Nizwa (Stack of Books)
• Muttrah (Muttrah Souq – Ghalib Bakheet Salem Bait Kalshat Al-Mahari Store)
• Muscat (Al Alam Palace)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Muscat, Oman. Once there, teams had to drive to the Burj Al Mubkharah in Riyam Park, where they were given small silver ingots with three separate times that determined when they could climb the fort's watchtower the next morning. The clue at the watchtower instructed teams to drive themselves to the highest point of Oman: Jebel Shams. At the base of the mountain, a safety driver took teams to their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to rappel 500 feet (150 m) down the side of the mountain to a field of hundreds of oil lamps, a handful of which held Aladdin's magic ring. Once they found a lamp with a ring, they could exchange it for their next clue.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to make their way to Stack of Books in Nizwa in order to find their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Water Table or Wedding Table. In Water Table, teams have to pump enough water from a well in order to fill a water truck and then direct the truck's driver to deliver the water to a specific house in the neighborhood of Aswat Al Eid in order to receive their next clue. In Wedding Table, teams had to travel to an Arab market and purchase 25 chickens and other ingredients needed to prepare a traditional Omani dish: maqbous. Once the dish was complete, teams had to serve the dish to a bride and groom in order to receive their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams had to travel to the Muttrah Souq in Muscat, where they had to find a frankincense vendor and then search the marketplace for "Ali Baba" in order to trade the frankincense for their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop: the Al Alam Palace.

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, teams had to use cycle rickshaws for travel and had to build one at the Roadblock.

• Episode 9: "There's a Lot of Nuts and Bullets" (November 21, 2010)
• Prize: US$15,000 Discover gift card (awarded to Jill & Thomas)
• Eliminated: Chad & Stephanie

Locations

• Muscat (Al Alam Palace)
• Muscat → Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Dhaka (Sundarban Square Supermarket)
• Dhaka (Dhaka Harbor)
• Dhaka (Sadarghat)
• Dhaka (Nazira Bazaar – Tekka Mistiri Rickshaw Garage)
• Dhaka (Lalbagh Fort)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Dhaka, Bangladesh. Once there, teams had to make their way to the Sundarban Square Supermarket, where they had to search for a marked sugarcane stall. There, teams had to press sugarcane to collect enough sugarcane juice to fill a glass and one team member had to drink the juice in order to receive their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Balanced Meal or Balanced Bricks. In Balanced Meal, teams had to pick up thirty filled tiffin carriers and take them by boat to a cargo ship in the harbor. After lifting the carriers onto the ship, teams had to bring ten empty carriers back to shore, where they could exchange them for the next clue. In Balanced Bricks, teams had to unload bricks from a supply barge and carry them in baskets on top of their heads to a nearby shop. Once they delivered 100 intact bricks, they received their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams were instructed to go on foot to Sadarghat. Teams then had to travel by cycle rickshaw to the Nazira Bazaar in order to find their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to properly assemble a cycle rickshaw using the parts provided in order to receive their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop: Lalbagh Fort.

Additional note

• This leg featured a Double U-Turn. Nat & Kat chose to use the U-Turn on Chad & Stephanie, while Jill & Thomas chose to use the U-Turn on Brook & Claire.

In Hong Kong, teams visited the memorial statue of martial artist and film star Bruce Lee on the Avenue of Stars.

• Episode 10: "I Hate Chinese Food" (November 28, 2010)
• Prize: A trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (awarded to Nat & Kat)

Locations

• Dhaka (Lalbagh Fort)
• Dhaka → Hong Kong
• Hong Kong (Jardine House)
• Hong Kong (Central → Cheung Chau)
• Hong Kong (Cheung Chau – Cheung Po Tsai Cave)
• Hong Kong (Cheung Chau → Kowloon)
• Hong Kong (Majesty Chinese Restaurant)
• Hong Kong (Avenue of Stars – Statue of Bruce Lee)
• Hong Kong (Hong Kong Tramways or Aberdeen Harbour)
• Hong Kong (Statue Square)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Hong Kong. Once there, teams had to travel by bus and ferry to Cheung Chau, where they had to find the Cheung Po Tsai Cave in order to find their next clue. Teams then had to travel by ferry to Kowloon and make their way to the Majesty Chinese Restaurant, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to use chopsticks to search among several plates of food on a buffet for one of five pieces of fake food normally used for display in order to receive their next clue. Team members had to eat any real food that they picked up before they could continue searching.
• After the Roadblock, teams had to make their way to the Avenue of Stars and locate the Statue of Bruce Lee in order to find their next clue.
• This leg's Detour was a choice between Ding Ding or Sampan. In Ding Ding, teams had to ride the Hong Kong Tramways, colloquially known as the "Ding Ding", between Arsenal Street and the Causeway Bay Tram Terminus, while searching through thousands of signs for three signs (reading "Pit Stop", "Statue", and "Square") that, when combined, revealed the location of the Pit Stop. In Sampan, teams went to the Jumbo Kingdom's dock and took a pair of budgerigars in a birdcage on a sampan. They then had to search along the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelters for a boat with the registration number matching the number on their birdcage. When they found it, teams could then trade the birdcage for the location of the Pit Stop.
• Teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Statue Square, overlooking The Cenotaph.

Additional note

• This was a non-elimination leg.

One of the Detour choices in Seoul paid tribute to South Korea's successful short track speed skating results at the Winter Olympics.

• Episode 11: "I'm Surrounded by Ninjas" (December 5, 2010)
• Prize: A trip for two to Iguazú Falls in Argentina (awarded to Jill & Thomas)
• Elimination: Nick & Vicki

Locations

• Hong Kong (Conrad Hong Kong)
• Hong Kong → Seoul, South Korea
• Cheorwon (Seung-il Bridge (in Korean))
• Dongducheon (Camp Casey)
• Dongducheon → Seoul
• Seoul (Seoul World Cup Stadium)
• Seoul (Mokdong Ice Rink or Namdaemun Market)
• Seoul (Yeouido Hangang Park – Airplane Statue)
• Seoul (Temple of Heaven)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Seoul, South Korea. Once there, teams had to drive to the Seung-il Bridge in the Korean Demilitarized Zone. There, teams had to whitewater raft down the Hantan River and board a Humvee that took them to Camp Casey in Dongducheon, where they found their next clue.
• In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to pick a headband and then search among two hundred soldiers practicing taekwondo for the one soldier wearing a matching headband. Once they found the right soldier, the soldier broke open a wooden board that contained their next clue. If they chose the wrong soldier, the soldier would take their headband and team members would have to retrieve another headband to try again.
• For their Speed Bump, Nick & Vicki had to clean a M109 howitzer. This task was not described by Phil on air because Nick & Vicki had fallen so further behind the other teams on the previous leg.[16]
• After the Roadblock, teams had to return to Seoul by train and make their way to the Seoul World Cup Stadium, where they found their next clue.
• This season's final Detour was a choice between Full Throttle or Full Bottle. In Full Throttle, teams had to travel to the Mokdong Ice Rink, where they had to put on short track speed skating suits and complete a two-person skating relay of 24 laps around the rink in order to receive their next clue. In Full Bottle, teams had to travel to Namdaemun Market, where they had to deliver six large glass jars of ginseng roots to a holistic wellness store without breaking any of them. When they were done, both team members had to finish a bottle of ginseng tonic in order to receive their next clue.
• After the Detour, teams had to travel to the Yeouido Hangang Park, where they had to search the park for an airplane statue in order to find their next clue, which directed them to the Pit Stop: the Temple of Heaven.

Additional note

• By the time Nick & Vicki made it to the Seung-il Bridge in Cheorwon, all of the other teams had already checked in at the Pit Stop. Although they were only shown performing the Speed Bump and then immediately checking in at the Pit Stop, Nick & Vicki revealed in interviews that they did complete some of the other tasks, but they were at night and would have been "pointless to show."[17]

Teams crossed the finish line at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills.

• Episode 12: "Hi. I'm Sorry. I'm in a Race" (December 12, 2010)
• Prize: US$1,000,000
• Winners: Nat & Kat
• Runners-up: Brook & Claire
• Third place: Jill & Thomas

Locations

• Seoul (Millennium Hilton Seoul)
• Seoul → Los Angeles, California
• Long Beach (Port of Long Beach)
• San Pedro → Pasadena (Rose Bowl)
• Los Angeles (Quixote Studios)
• Beverly Hills (Greystone Mansion)

Episode summary

• At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Los Angeles, California. Once there, teams had to make their way to Pier J on the Port of Long Beach, where they had to ride an elevator to the top of one of the pier's gantry cranes before receiving their clue. They were then dropped from the crane on a tandem bungee swing over the water. Once teams were on the pier, they could read their clue, which informed them that they had to ride a helicopter to a surprise destination (the Rose Bowl).
• In this season's final Roadblock, one team member had to decorate three sections of a float for the Tournament of Roses Parade. When they completed each section correctly, they could receive their next clue from 2009 Rose Queen Courtney Lee.
• The clue after the Roadblock was presented to teams as three riddles to solve: 1) I am Sancho Panza's master (Don Quixote), 2) I am the place to hear The Symphony in the Glen (Griffith Park), and 3) Monroe's Year of the Itch (The Seven Year Itch). Teams had to combine the answers to figure out their next destination was located at Quixote Studios Stage 7, located near Griffith Park.
• At Quixote Studios, teams were put in front of a large game show-like board that flashed videos of 48 people wearing different kinds of hats, 11 of which were the greeters that welcomed them to the Pit Stops. Teams had to use a control panel to pick the greeters and place them in the order in which they appeared during the season in order to receive their final clue from game show host Bob Eubanks, which directed them to the finish line at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills.

The Amazing Race 17 received mixed-to-positive reviews. Andy Dehnart of reality blurred wrote that it was "an average (at best) season, one plagued by a consistent lack of surprise, few actually challenging challenges, and a lot of stupidity."[18] Scott Von Doviak of The A.V. Club wrote that "the season has been somewhat less than amazing, exhibiting the same flaws that have plagued the last several editions of the long-running series: lackluster challenges, repetitive airport and taxicab drama, too many unlikeable teams, too many equalizing points along the route, and a distinct lack of suspense at the end of too many legs."[19] Luke Dwyer of TV Fanatic wrote that this season had "an unusually likable cast. Only a handful of contestants were the kind you actively root against and even those were tamed by The Amazing Race standards. Instead we were treated to a cast without a dominant group, but one that was easy to root for."[20] In 2016, this season was ranked 3rd out of the first 27 seasons by the Rob Has a Podcast Amazing Race correspondents.[21] Likewise in 2021, Jane Andrews of Gossip Cop also ranked this season as the show's 3rd best season.[22] Val Barone of TheThings ranked this season as the show's 2nd best season.[23] In 2022, Jason Shomer of Collider ranked this season among the show's top seven seasons.[24] In 2022, Rhenn Taguiam of Game Rant ranked this season as the eighth-best season.[25]

• Episode 6, "Run, Babushka, Run", aired on Halloween when viewership was down for all shows and where it went up against Sunday Night Football and Game 4 of the World Series.

Canadian broadcaster CTV also aired The Amazing Race on Sundays at 8pm Eastern, Central, & Atlantic (9pm Pacific & Mountain).

• Episode 3, "In Phil We Trust", aired on the Sunday before Canadian Thanksgiving Day.