‘The Amazing Race’ Recap: Erin & Javi Make a Comeback After Disastrous Roadblock

Alyssa Norwin October 21, 2026, 11:00 pm

With nine teams left on Season 39 of The Amazing Race, the fifth leg began during Wednesday’s (October 21) episode. The pairs took off from Morocco to Albania for the next set of tasks, and the last team to the mat was eliminated.

Three teams had Express Passes left in their pockets: Conner Wilson and Garrett McGuire, Michelle Patterson and Matt Patterson, and Ali Krieger and Joanna Lohman. With just two legs left to use the Express Pass, the contestants had to be strategic about whether this leg was the right opportunity to bypass their competition.

Michelle and Matt told their competitors that they used the Express Pass on the last leg to make themselves less of a threat. While other teams continued to form alliances, the married couple was focused on running the race with nobody but themselves.

What were the Roadblocks in Episode 5?

The Roadblock required one member of each team to use a hand-cranked grape crusher to make grape juice used for a licorice-flavored liqueur favored by Albanians. Michelle and Matt arrived first and received the Driver’s Seat advantage, which meant they got to decide how many pounds of the grape juice concoction each team had to make.

They gave themselves, Erin Taylor and Javi Vintimilla, and Ann-Marie Tejcek and Riley Tejcek the lightest amount (50 pounds). Three teams had to make 75 pounds: Conner and Garrett, Dafina Dunmore and Saran Dunmore, and Daisha Wilks and Dalton Hamby. Finally, three teams were tasked with making 100 pounds: Ali and Joanna, Doug Matter and Dylan Matter, and Anuar Tager and Andrea Tager Ballesca. Michelle and Matt hoped to flush Ali and Joanna’s Express Pass by giving them the 100-pound disadvantage.

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Anuar got off to a slow start with the Roadblock, but Riley jumped in to help correct how he was doing it wrong. He was then unexpectedly helped by Dalton, who accidentally cranked an entire crate of grapes into Anuar’s barrel instead of his own.

The teams then had to drive to Instituti I Artist Kulinar, where they were met with another Roadblock. This time, they had to make byrek breakfast pastries. In an unexpected twist, there was another Driver’s Seat advantage, which Michelle and Matt reached first once again. They tasked themselves with making eight byrek, while Ann-Marie/Riley, Dafina/Saran, and Doug/Dylan had to make 12. The remaining teams had to make 16 pastries.

At the second Roadblock, Andrea returned the favor to Ann-Marie/Riley by going back to give Ann-Marie pastry-making tips after she had already completed her own 16 byrek. Meanwhile, Erin had an especially difficult time making her 16 pastries, and she and Javi quickly fell far behind.

What was the Route Info Task in Episode 5?

Next, the pairs worked together to complete a Route Info Task. They had to navigate a bunker with hundreds of rooms until they found one with an Amazing Race flag. Once inside, they had to listen to a recorded conversation, paying attention to every seventh word. Those words then had to be used to crack the next clue.

Michelle and Matt cracked the “Downtown One” code before any of the other teams even arrived. Despite being the second to last to leave the Roadblock, Joanna and Ali made up time getting to the Route Info Task, while other teams, including Andrea and Anuar, got lost.

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Ann-Marie and Riley helped Dalton and Daisha out with deciphering the message, but when Dalton/Daisha figured out what the code meant first, they didn’t return the favor. The women then teamed up with Ali and Joanna to work on cracking the code, and when Riley figured it out, she gave Ali and Joanna the answer.

Dafina/Saran, Conner/Garett, and Doug/Dylan all arrived around the same time and worked together, ultimately solving the puzzle. After getting lost, Anuar and Andrea finished the task very quickly, leaving Erin and Javi as the last team in the bunker.

Who used the Express Pass in Episode 5?

Ali and Joanna got lost on the way to the first Roadblock. They were the last two arrive, with just two other teams still at the checkpoint, so they used their Express Pass to bypass the task and move on.

Leg 6 is the last time the Express Pass can be used, and there are two teams that still have it: Michelle/Matt and Conner/Garrett. They cannot use their Express Passes on the same task.

Who was eliminated in Episode 5?

Dafina and Saran had trouble navigating to the Pit Stop, which allowed Erin and Javi to pull ahead of them. The sisters were the last team to the mat and were eliminated from the race.

The other teams finished Leg 5 in the following order: Matt/Michelle, Daisha/Dalton, Conner/Garrett, Ann-Marie/Riley, Ali/Joanna, Doug/Dylan, Anuar/Andrea, and Erin/Javi.