He’s worked through hay most of his life
Sometimes the tasks on The Amazing Race test the emotional strength of the teams, and sometimes the tests are physical. Nothing ever tests both elements more than the infamous hay bale challenge, resurrected from season six. Just unrolling the bales is hard enough, but the frustration of doing it time after time and not finding the flag you’re looking for is enough to cause a breakdown.

And that’s not even the whole story. Flight Time and Big Easy were third to arrive at the farm, but first to find the flag, while Sam and Meghan were drowning in their own futility. That caused even more tears and trauma. Cheyne missed the chance to do this Road Block by nudging his girlfriend toward the hay. He said she was taking the lead, but it was obvious he just didn’t want to do it. The task brought her to tears, but to his credit he encouraged her all the way, and when she was the second to find the flag, all psychic wounds were healed.

On the other hand, Sam and Dan had been first to arrive at the farm. Dan seemed to have an idea what the task was about, but Sam was the one to tackle it, with his brother shouting at him from the sidelines. After a while, Dan must have known that his anti-cheerleading was only adding to Sam’s frustration, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. While they were going through this sibling ritual, Brian and Ericka arrived from far behind. Brian found the flag, and they finished third on this leg.

By then it was between the brothers and the father and son team of Gary and Matt, who had missed planes and trains all day, and driven around Stockholm in circles (literally), placing themselves firmly in last place. The fact that they had a good chance to pass Sam and Dan and finish fourth was one of the more amazing features of the race. The fact that they finished last is not the fault of Gary, who worked gamely through the bales with his son gently encouraging him.

Very properly, this turned out to be a non-elimination leg. In no way should that task, both nearly impossible and largely ruled by chance, have been the reason any of the final five teams went home. The fact that all five finished the Road Block proves that they deserve to move on to the next leg.