One of the all-stars didn’t make it to the starting line on The Amazing Race season 24, episode 1, “Back in the Saddle.” Read our recap to find out who and discuss with other fans.

The highlights from The Amazing Race season 24, episode 1, “Back in the Saddle,” are:

The 11 all-star teams arrive at UCLA to kick off the competition. Before the race can even begin, though, Phil Keoghan announces that William “Bopper” Minton has an inflamed pancreas and can’t compete in the race. Although Bopper is out, Keoghan gives his partner, Mark Jackson, the chance to find a new partner. In a dramatic twist, Mallory comes to Mark’s rescue so that he can compete.

Keoghan announces that the teams are about to head to China and that if they win the first leg, they will win an express pass. First they must search the marching band for members wearing the Chinese symbol for Guangzhou, which is their first destination. Leo and Jamal are the first team to receive their passes, followed by Jet and Cord, David and Connor, and Natalie and Nadiya, who are the last team on the first flight.

The rest of the teams will have to go on the second flight. Mark and Mallory take the time driving to the airport to get to know each other a little better. The Twinnies and Brendon and Rachel take time to express their sorrow to Mark for the loss of his original partner.

When the teams land in China, they must travel by taxi or metro to the street of wedding dresses. They find one of three stores which hold a limited number of clues. Jet and Cord are the only team on the first flight to chose metro as their source of transportation, while the other teams chose taxi.

Twinnies (Natalie and Nadiya) and the Afghanimals (Leo and Jamal) arrive and start looking for English speakers to help them out, while David and Connor spot the Cowboys (Jet and Cord) and decide to try and follow them. The Cowboys are indeed the first team to get a clue, and they must travel to Canton Tower.

The second flight arrives and many of the teams decide to take the metro together. Brendon and Rachel quickly find a wedding dress clue while the Cowboys arrive at Canton Tower. They must try different cars until they find a clue, but they travel quite slowly.

Twinnies and the Afghanimals are still working together but seem to just be confusing each other. A bunch of teams go into the same store and search until they realize it’s the wrong one. The Afghanimals go off on their own and finally find the right store and take their clue without telling anyone else.

Jet and Cord finally find the next clue in a bubble car and must go to Haixinsha Stadium on the river below the tower. As they leave Margie and Luke, Brendon and Rachel, Dave and Connor, and Mark and Mallory all arrive at the tower. They quickly get frustrated with looking for the next clue.

Jessica and John, and Joey and Meghan, finally find a wedding dress store and take their clues. Natalie and Nadiya (who arrived on the first flight), and Jennifer and Caroline, are the last ones without a clue. The first and second shops they go to have no clues, but the last one does!

At the towers, the teams begin to realize which bubbles have the clues. Mark worries that Mallory doesn’t trust his judgement about the correct stadium. Meanwhile, Natalie and Nadiya arrive at the towers, get in a wrong car, and start arguing with each other (yikes)! The rest of the teams look on as they freak out at each other.

The Cowboys (Jet and Cord) arrive at the stadium first and find they must preform high wire flips as they travel hundreds of feet in the air. Once they’ve completed the flips, they will be handed the next clue. Rachel and Brendon arrive at the stadium as well.

Once the flips are completed, they get clues, which lead them to the Guangzhou Opera House. The first team there will win the express pass and have a second to hand out to anther team. The last team there will be eliminated from the race!

Jet and Cord are the first team at the opera house and take the express passes. Rachel and Brendon arrive second, Dave and Connor arrive third, Margie and Luke arrive fourth, Leo and Jamal arrive fifth, Mark and Mallory arrive in sixth, Herbert and Nate arrive in seventh, Jessica and John arrive in eighth, and Jen and Caroline arrive ninth.

Meghan and Joey arrive in tenth place and are still in the race, while Natalie and Nadiya are the last team and are eliminated.

What did you think of ‘The Amazing Race’ season 24, episode 1, ‘Back in the Saddle’?

Photo credit: Robert Voets/CBS