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'Amazing Race' recap: You want stress? Watch #TeamTexas try to row a canoe

Oh, yeah, you can tell the stress is picking up.

Teams bickered. They were frantic. They were confused. They growled at the poor local cabbies more than usual. They were stingy to give to orphans.

The episode was titled "King of the Jungle." In one of the tasks to find a clue, the teams had to take a stressful walk with free-roaming lions. They were under the watchful eye of handlers, of course, but one wrong move ...

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More than once, the two 300-pound lions exchanged looks knowing that, under normal circumstances and without trained handlers, they should just maul these overstressed contestants. But the lions probably realized they wouldn't be getting a CBS-issued check if they did.

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Two things became clear from this entertaining episode. #TeamTexas' Josh Ahern and Tanner Kloven should never attempt to take a canoe out on the Trinity River. And our disgust for paparazzi was never more evident after watching the behavior of Logan Fazio and Chris Gordon.

If you think you can do better, CBS is having tryouts in Garland for the next season's shows. The tryouts are scheduled from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday at Randall Reed's Prestige Ford, 3601 S. Shiloh Road. If this week's episode is an indication, bring your 'tude and a solid disdain for your partner.

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As always, a few details are below. So, attention: spoiler alert. Return here after you've erased the episode from your DVR.

Spoiler alerts below

The start: Livingston, Zambia.

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The finish: Masuwe Safair Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Starting teams (8): #ChacAttack (Cindy and Rick Chac), #TeamAlabama (Denise Williams and James Earl Corley), #TheTrackStars (Jazmine Lewis and Danielle Littleton), #TheGreenTeam (Justin Scheman and Diana Bishop), #TheReporters (Kelsey Gerckens and Joey Buttitta), #ThePaparazzi (Logan Fazio and Chris Gordon), #TeamTexas (Josh Ahern and Tanner Kloven), #TheCheerleaders (Tiffany Chantell and Krista Debono).

The Pit Stop: Masuwe Private Game Reserve. Instead of the sprint to the mat, teams had to do the old "balance-a-basket-of-fruit-on-your-head" trick. It wasn't easy for anyone.

Road Block: This is a callback to the very first episode in which contestants, attached to bungee cords, must free fall more than 95 meters into the Bakota Gorge. #TeamTexas prayed out loud: "Dear Lord, just help me not scream like a girl." Everyone survived.

Detour: Crocs. No, they didn't have to wear the ugly shoes, but they probably wished they had something to protect their toes when they entered a cage, got submerged and fed hungry crocodiles using wires that you use to roast marshmellows.

Who finished first: #TeamAlabama. Denise and James Earl benefitted from the Express Pass given to them by #TeamTexas. The two people who don't look comfortable being in one another's company did win a trip to Slovakia.

Who's out: #TheTrackStars. You can tell Jazmine and Danielle are track stars. They train hard to get from Point A to Point B as fast as they can. But because of this laser focus, they don't pay attention to the details along the way. They went on the Lion Encounter and didn't bother to pick up the clue, just like the episode in which they left their buggy whip behind and had to return. Same thing here. They had to take the Lion Encounter walk again, which cost them.

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Who we wished finished last: #TeamPaparazzi. Going by Chris and Logan's behaviors, you can see why Alec Baldwin doesn't have much patience with the paparazzi. Chris and Logan date, but they don't seem to like each other. They growl at one another and have a defeatist attitude before their challenges even start. It makes for good TV. Early in the show, when they arrived at the orphanage at the Pit Stop from last week, they plunked down $20 of their $170 in their pockets. The other contestants gave all they had. With doe-eyed orphans looking on, host Phil Keoghan shamed Chris and Logan into emptying their pockets. They seem less than enthused.

Texas connection: #TeamTexas seems to have lost their contempt for #TeamGreen. Josh and Tanner really disliked Justin in a way that patrons at Billy Bob's or the Lizard Lounge roll their eyes at people who try to hog the dance floors and do the Hustle. Also, Josh and Tanner are the worst oarsmen in the history of canoeing. In a task, they have to row across a river and pluck a clue out of a vulture's nest. In the water, they don't alternate sides to paddle and just end up doing circles or semi-circles. OMG, it was maddening to watch. The Ghost of Davy Crockett should demand they give up their Texas cards.