DOUG AND DYLAN! NOOOOOOOOOOO!

Actually, I knew that Doug and Dylan were going to get eliminated eventually. You can’t consistently come in second-to-last without it eventually catching up to you. Doug and Dylan struggled through the entire race, but they were just so likable and energetic that I couldn’t help but hold onto hope that things would suddenly start going better for them. They would have been eliminated last week if it hadn’t been a non-elimination leg. That meant they left with an Automatic U-Turn in Sri Lanka, and it proved to be too much for them to overcome. What I love is that they never lost their positive spirit. I’ll miss them.

Doug and Dylan were not the only team having to do a U-Turn. This episode started with the teams, having arrived in Sri Lanka, voting for a Double U-Turn. Each team picked two other teams that they wanted to U-Turn, and not surprisingly, the majority of the votes went to Matt and Michelle and Daisha and Dalton. Daisha was shocked and on the verge of tears. Matt took the votes as a compliment. Michelle said that the rest of the teams were “dead to me,” and I wanted to cheer. Matt and Michelle don’t mince words, and I love them for it.

Here’s how the votes broke down:

• Erin & Javi voted for Matt & Michelle and Ali & Joanna.
• Ali & Joanna voted for Matt & Michelle and Daisha & Dalton.
• Conner & Garrett voted for Matt & Michelle and Daisha & Dalton.
• Daisha & Dalton voted for Matt & Michelle and Anuar & Andrea.
• Doug & Dylan voted for Daisha & Dalton and Anuar & Andrea.
• Anuar & Andrea voted for Matt & Michelle and Daisha & Dalton.
• Matt & Michelle voted for Anuar & Andrea and Ali & Joanna.
• Ann-Marie & Riley voted for Matt & Michelle and Daisha & Dalton, but they assured us that they really like the people they voted for.

In the case of Matt & Michelle, the Double U-Turn was not a problem. They still finished in third place. Even Phil, who rarely smiles when talking to Matt & Michelle, seemed to be impressed. Daisha & Dalton struggled a bit, but they still managed to make it to the Pit Stop just a few minutes ahead of Doug & Dylan.

Here’s how everyone finished this week:

Ali & Joanna finished in first. Their best moment was when Ali wondered if they should share some information with Riley & Ann-Marie, and Joanna quickly shot down the idea. I guess the alliance was on hold during this leg of the race.

Anuar & Andrea finished in second. I wasn’t expecting them to be one of the strongest teams this season, but they truly are.

Matt & Michelle said, “Suck it, haters!” and finished in third place, ahead of most of the teams that voted to U-Turn them.

Conner & Garrett finished in fourth place. I like Conner & Garrett, but being consistently in the middle of the pack is going to cost them eventually.

Ann-Marie and Riley finished in fifth place. For all of the time that the show has devoted to these two, and for the amount of bragging that Riley does about how she’s good at everything, they’ve consistently finished in the middle. There are only seven teams left, so a fifth-place finish is nothing to be happy about.

Erin and Javi finished in sixth. At first, I didn’t like this team. They’ve grown on me. Last night, I loved it when Javi complained about Anuar & Andrea and Riley & Ann-Marie just deciding that they were all going to work together just because they were on the same bus. Still, they need to get in some stronger finishes, or else they’re going to be in trouble.

Daisha & Dalton finished in seventh, entirely due to the Double U-Turn. I think they’ll be fine, despite their struggles during this episode.

And finally, Doug & Dylan were the last to arrive and were elim— NOOOOOOOOOO!

They were eliminated, but they left the race having won the hearts of thousands of viewers.